


The fools gambit

by Happenstance93



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, F/M, Personas have slight bleed into reality, Slow Burn, Time Loop, Wild Card Makoto, new game plus au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:22:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 82,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happenstance93/pseuds/Happenstance93
Summary: When the phantom thieves failed to harness the power of the masses and their failure seemed imminent Ren Amamiya broke the chains that held him to this game and thus pulled himself back to the beggining , but not the same one he remembered.A persona 5 new game plus AU with Makoto as the wild card
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 27
Kudos: 97





	1. The world unbound

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Queen's Checkmate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25509337) by [blazingEmblem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazingEmblem/pseuds/blazingEmblem). 



A flash of white and Ren Amamiya's mind was wracked with memories and sensations of a life he partly didn't live, where fate played out events just so but slightly off from what he thought he knew.  
When the white faded the first sensation that came to him was falling and the impact of cold metal upon his clenched fists.

"Young man? Are you alright?"

Ren could not see nor hear the elderly mans panicked inquiry nor feel his hands upon his back attempting to lift his convulsing form, all that filled his mind was pain as he felt his skin stretch rapidly to accommodate new growing muscle, bones contorting to accept the new mass; what overshadowed even this agony was the empty void from which he knew but not understood was where his wild card once resided. The power granted by the god of control, who used it to play him as a puppet in his game, was no more.  
Just as quickly as the pain wracked his body, it ceased but the emptiness remained at the core of his heart, knowable even as his senses slowly returned to him ; first was sight, the white metal walls, the muddled windows and cramped spaces, the numerous uninterested people pushed together.

"..the underground, he was on the underground" ren thought to himself  
As he lifted his head and found he was curled in on himself, clutching at his chest in an attempt to fill the void there. What surprised him most was the face of someone he knew he should recognize staring out to the crowd in bewilderment and concern and what didn't were all the ones that were completely unfazed.

" -omone! Please wont someone help this young man!"  
Then the sound came rushing back to him, he could hear the older man crying out for assistance but it seemed all he got was a concerned young woman pointing him to a first aid kit on the wall.  
With a croak ren managed to call out and tried to raise himself but found his limbs exhausted and strained.

"Im okay!, just had a, a bad panic attack"

With that it seemed the looks of concern vanished into the masses of neutral expressions as people that had gotten up to see the commotion hurried to reclaim their seats.  
Strangely the hands on his back had yet to move. And he heard the old mans voice again from above him 

"Nonsense you're not alright that was clearly terrible! Come on now i'll help you sit up"

As Ren tried to stand on shaking legs he felt the older mans hands grasp his shoulders to guide him back to the seat from he'd fallen.  
It was only then that Ren could get a good look at the him; thinning slicked back black hair, numerous wrinkles that spoke of a life orating and flashing wide grins, he at once saw him as a complete stranger but also knew him innately.

A voice rippled through Rens mind low and mirthful  
"Toranosuke yoshida, a fine man and even finer speaker" 

As if reading his thoughts his expression faltered into one of grim acceptance before he broke out into a wide grin and gave a low chuckle before speaking

"Based on your expression i see you recognize me though I didn't expect it in one so young, yes i am "No-good-Tora" as I'm sure you've heard but that doesn't mean i wont help someone who is clearly in trouble"  
As Tora continued his gaze towards Ren became firm  
"And i assure you that even with my past failings i intend to best represent the youth of today in the upcomi-"

"No..."  
Ren spoke cutting off Old man Tora  
From his speech before he could self deprecate anymore and memories flew to the forefront of his mind as he looked at this man that at one point was his mentor, his speech coach and later friend and comrade against corruption. Ren even knew where in his bag rested the extravagant fountain pen he had gifted him to commemorate their friendship.  
  
"No, you're Toranosuke Yoshida, a good man who has been wronged and falsely accused. And im looking forward to supporting you in your next campaign"

Yoshida seemed staggered by this what his wide eyes and stymied grin , even Ren was surprised at the firmness of his words. 

A heartbeat more passed between them before Yoshida gathered himself and straightened his stance, a new small fire in eyes as he stood.  
"Well, while I assure you i am not falsely accused I do still look forward to your continued support Mr.."

Yoshida held his hand out to him and he couldn't stop the memory that he had done this all once before 

"Amamiya Ren" 

Ren took his hand with a confident grip and gave Old man Tora a similar smile.

Yoshida nodded once and opened his mouth to speak again but perked up when he heard the train announcer alerting they were coming into the station, and then his expression of concern appeared once more.

"Where are you headed to Amamiya-san?  
Are you sure you'll be able to get there on your own?"

Ren responded with a soft smile and an affirmative nod

"Im headed to yongen-jaya but dont worry, i know these streets like the back of my hand"

Rens confidant smile and assuredness seemed to placate the jovial but downtrodden politician, who responded with a hearty chuckle and small grin

"Alright then i wish you the best of luck Amamiya-san. My stop is coming up here but I'm glad we could meet, and if you really do want to support me or just want to learn more about politics you can find me in the Shibuya square every Sunday evening, take care." 

Yoshida swiftly returned back to his seat to gather his things giving one last look of concern to Ren before he departed as the train came rolling to a stop.  
As Yoshida and many others bustled past Ren he felt a growing sense of paranoia as he checked the date and realized with shocking clarity that he was back where he had started the year of his probation.

"Did, he go back in time? Did they fail to stop the ruin? What happened to-" 

As the questions began to race through his mind and panic began to overtake him he heard that smooth confidant timbre echo throughout his heart and soul as it let out a low amused laugh

"You failed no one my trickster. Though your victory was pyrrhic, it was inevitable in the game which you had been forced to play. And instead and cowering or accepting the a deal to retread the same roads you channeled your wrath and fury to smite a would be god and take from them the victory they so desired, and in doing so forged a new path for you to walk. This new path is similar to the one you tread before but the god of controls strings do not twist around you, meaning you have reclaimed your free will from that which sought to bind your spirt. I could not be more proud for you to wear my mask.

As the voice spoke Rens mind was filled with a sense of clarity; he recalled the great divine machine Yaldabaoth and its terrible machinations, how his allies fell one after another to is aspects of sin, holding his best friend Ryuji in his arms trying and failing to heal the great bullet hole in his chest he took to save Rens life, he recalled the look of uncontrolled fury and then sorrow on Makoto’s face, tears streaming beneath her mask as she drove her bladed gauntlet into his side, how when she fought back against its control and was unable to harm those she loved anymore, Yaldabaoth flung her from the clouds that was their battleground. He could see even now as the others rallied around him, desperate to protect those left and fight back, and he saw as a pitiless and empty void swallowed them and all was lost. In that moment he felt no sadness, or loss but the rage of all those fallen, of all those who had their free will robbed by this thing playing god, and the silence of those they fought for. He had felt Arsene’s wings envelop him as he reached up and broke the very chains that bound him and his other self to this rotten game.  
A six-winged figure descended from heaven on high, gun in hand raised to end the falsehoods of this god, and fired it's one deafening shot. 

A name spoken only once before came unbidden to his lips 

"Satanael"  
He spoke it in a whisper, as if saying it too loudly might rob him of its knowledge.

His other self roared a mighty victory cry  
"Yes! You could never forget the true power that slumbers within you, the power of the bonds you forged to shatter your very shackles and free yourself from the Demiurges vile will!"

Rens vision of the train began to darken and narrow until he truly opened his eyes and found he stood upon a lake that reflected the light of the cosmos as motes of starlight and cosmic dust whirled together beneath him in a harmonious dance. Where he stood small waves rippled out into the endless horizon until they faded into the stillness beyond.

A crack of thunder drew his eyes upward as lighting rolled through a churning sea of dark storm clouds, the forks of light spreading throughout the heavens.  
As he gazed in wonder, he bore witness to the being he had called to in his fury; Satanael descended with their six wings unfurled and golden horns shining in the night, in his right hand he raised a long slender rifle ready to smite even the gods from their thrones, his left was upturned and extended as if to uplift those that had fallen.

As Ren Amamiya gazed upon the majesty of this once divine being a new fire burned within the hollowness in his heart, and he felt not so much as heard his partners declaration.

"For i am thou, and thou art i.  
With will alone you cast off the yoke of those who would oppress you, discarded their gifts which bound the rebels soul they sought to quiet.. i will lend you the strength to break the chains of the world and spread your justice to punish those unworthy for thou shall wield the might and heaven and hell themself!"

A devilish grin spread across Ren's features as he met Satanael's gaze and removed his glasses, dropping them into the shimmering sea below.

"Lets get to work partner"


	2. Bonds old and new

The sight of Yongen-jaya was a welcome relief to young Amamiya Ren; wandering its back alleys and exploring its numerous shops and stands, and making frequent use of the hot baths and Takemi's clinic was a joyous pastime to him once.

This time around he thankfully didnt need to ask around for directions to Sojiros home or Leblanc, finding his feet naturally taking him where he needed to go. As he approached the wonderful café with its terrible location he saw the door swing open to reveal a blue haired woman with a studded collar, eyeshadow from two days past and her hands in the pockets of a crisp clean doctors coat. He knew he was home and had to remind himself that at this time, he couldnt treat it as such finding that that he had to keep a neutral expression as he regarded the young doctor. But maybe this could be a valuable opportunity to start things sooner rather than later.

Tae Takemi was always a brisk walker so he knew he had better act now rather than later.

"Excuse me miss"  
He called out to her, feeling the strangeness of formality with someone that had once been among his closest confidants.

As she turned she regarded him with a slightly annoyed expression, no doubt eager to get back to work and her experiments for Miwa-chan.

Suddenly remembering his manners Ren gave a slight bow before continuing

"I'm Amamiya Ren, I've recently moved to yongen-jaya and was wondering if you worked at the clinic i saw passing by here"

The annoyance she wore quickly gave way to that signature Takemi confidence as she turned to regard him fully

"Lab coat too much of a giveaway huh?" A smirk already finding its way to the surface

"Yeah i work there, its my clinic in fact. Though i wouldn't recommend coming to see me for your checkup, people tend to avid me around here after an incident with my past employment"

As she finished speaking the smirk faltered, wondering why she had divulged even that much to this stranger but Ren was quick to continue as he approached her

"That's a shame. Having a doctor so close would usually be so convenient for me . But not to worry, I've got a hearty constitution so i rarely get sick but what with starting at a new school i figured stress might get to me more than actual sickness. I'll be sure to come see you if i have any issues Miss.."

The question hung in the hairs for a moment as regarded him, looking him over with a critical eye that seemed to be a medical examination all in its own until she spoke a moment later, a soft smile breaking her hardening expression.

"Dr.Takemi." she said with a small wave towards him  
"And if that's true what you say about not getting sick often feel free to stop by, i may have use for you around the clinic."

Ren gave a soft chuckle, knowing exactly what he should say next

"What like as a guinea pig or something?"

With that her smile broadened and her eyes bore a mischievous glint that could only come from her as she brought her fingers to her chin in a thoughtful way.

"More or less. As long as you aren't too frightened by the thought."

Her gaze bore into him expecting him to crumble at the possible she had planned should he stop by.

Ren flashed a confidant grin  
"Would be happy to be in the hands of such a lovely young doctor to help expand her practices, after all I'm sure it would be for a good cause.

Tae was unphased by his flirt as she stepped closer to him flashing her own knowing smirk

"Oh? And what makes you so sure I don't have anything nefarious planned for a handsome young man such as yourself?"

He returned her gaze and smile unflinchingly, recalling with fondness how when he first met her her teasing would leave him a flustered mess.

"Because if people avoid you as much as you say and yet you still treat them, i'd say you're a better person than you'd think"

Tae blinked for a moment, not expecting such and honest answer before she quickly recovered and took on her haughty airs once more as she crossed her arms and cocked her hips.

"Well, in that case you're welcome to come around anytime. That is if your nerve holds Mr.Amamiya"

"certainly wouldn't do me any good if it faltered now would it Dr.Takemi?  
What kind of guinea pig would i be if it did."

They stood there for a moment, two centers of confidence before they both let a soft disarming laugh  
And she turned to leave for her clinic

"Stop by then anytime then, Mr. Guinea pig." She gave a brief wave behind as she turned, walking with a slight sachet as of to fluster who she thought was certainly just a cocky teenager.

With that, fond and not so fond memories of experiencing her trials came rushing to the forefront of his mind. It dawned on him then that his while he couldn't remember everything of his past life, it seemed when it became relevant the memories would surface. But that thought still keep him from shuddering as he remembered just how bitter so much of her medicine was.

Sojiro was just as brusk and stand offish as he was when he first moved into Leblanc. He layed down his rules, shoved him into the dust and clutter filled attic and told him he had better not screw up or he was gone.

Ren nodded simply and kept his answers brief and polite, both knowing that sojiro needed to get back to work and that when he had sassed him the first time around it had earned him an earful.

Sojiro departed just as quickly as he thought but not before he turned and tossed a black leather diary towards him which Ren caught handedly.  
"Seems my reflexes are still just as sharp " he thought to himself before sojiro spoke up

"That's a diary, I'll need you to keep a daily record of tour activities for your probation officer since i have to report to them so damn often. Oh and dont go filling it up with the woes of a high school drama, just keep it brief alright? Don't want to deal with any more hassle from the courts."

With that terse conversation he left down the stairs and left Ren reflecting on all the wonderful things Sojiro had taught him once upon a time. Before he had become a surrogate father to him, welcoming him into his establishment and passing on his family traditions to him.  
Tears fought their way to the surface of Rens eyes at the experience of speaking to someone he loved so much regarding him so coldly but it was something that he would to get used to.  
Thankfully he still had all the coffee knowledge sojiro had drilled into him, as well all the appreciation for the craft so perhaps he could bring out Sojiros softer side sooner. The old goat was more soft than anything else really and ren chuckled at the thought.

As he placed the diary on the table wafting a plume of dust into the air he turned and regarded the monument of clutter that lay before him. Sighing as he recalled just how much of a pack rat Sojiro was.  
Before that though there was a promise he made that he needed to fulfill; he walked over to where he bed would be and cleared a space to sit then pulled out hid phone hitting the speed dial for mom.

The phone rang for several moments, ren looked at the time and realized that right now she would be well into working at the shop, maybe it would best to call at a  
Suddenly the phone picked up and he was greeted to the excited vice of his mother

"Sweetie! So glad to hear from you, did you make it to Sakura-sans safe?

Ren smiled as recent memories of his mother came to his mind; the life they'd lived moving around constantly, the various odd jobs she worked to keep afloat and then later jobs he kept as well once he was of age, the joy she felt at finally finding a place they would settle down and start up her own mechanic shop like she'd been dreaming of, and the terror and sadness she felt as she realized just how difficult Ren's life would be with his probation if she didn't accept the order to have him move away.

"Yeah mom, got here just fine. Think it'll be fun to live above a café and.."  
He looked around at all the room had to offer or what it soon would in any case.

"I've got plenty of room"

He looked to the left which was more old books and random junk than floor at this point.

"A good bed."

Patting the old worn futon just shook out more dust and filled the air.

"And even a space to work out"

His gaze turned upward to the spider filled rafters that thankfully had always remained sturdy.

"I think it's all gonna work out for rhe best mom, in spite of everything. And I'm even starting at shujin on monday." 

"Oh honey thats wonderful! I hope Sakura-san treats as well as my friend said he would, and i know that you'd only just started real school when that fucker pulled that bullshit with you like you were nothing more than.."

Ren couldn't hold back a smile as his mother did her typical breathing method to calm herself down, he could even picture the furious snarl that was building on her face and then a moment later the joyous polite smile she forced to the surface. 

"…..But i know you're going to do wonderful at shujin honey, you're gonna knock em dead with your test scores and nobody will be able to hold you back. I want you to know that i'll be rooting for you all the while, oh and make sure you head into shibuyu when you get the time! your old Uncle iwai has an airsoft shop there and he owes me a pretty big favor, the least he could do is give you a job. That man could never keep any place he lived or worked reputable so maybe you can finally add some charm to whatever he's doing.

His mother finished her speech in a huff as she went on for several more minutes giving him advice about what to avoid in shibuya and that he shouldn't wander around shinjuku late at night. 

She gave a heavy sigh when she realized she needed to get back to work but before she left she offered him one last piece of advice. “Ren, I know that with everything that happened you might be regretting stepping in the way you did. I know you were so worried about drawing the attention of the police to our little family but I want you to know I'm so proud of you but...” 

Even having heard this all once before Ren began to get choked up as his mother continued 

“.. but you need to know you did the right thing. Walking away would have just made you nearly as bad at that man and I know that that didn’t even cross your mind. You’ve probably already been told that you need to keep your head and not cause a fuss but you can’t lose sight of your morals. There's a difference between what’s right and what’s easy and you’ve already proven to me that you know the difference. I love you so much honey and as long as you stick to what you know in your heart you’ll come out of this just fine. Now I gotta get back to work, Mr. Kurugama has brought his car in for brake trouble again, I don’t think he’s gotten the hint yet that I'm not interested. 

She gave a brief harsh laugh before Ren responded 

“well, you’ll just have to let him down easy this time. Again. I love you mom and, thanks I didn’t know I needed to hear that. Take care." 

As he put away he phone and wiped the tears from his eyes he realized for the first first time that the meta-nav hadn't appeared, meaning that he truly was free from Yaldabaoth's clutches, but he knew he couldn't avoid the metaverse for long with the power he wielded. 

Before Satanael had retreated to the core of his heart he warned him that a new wild card would have been chosen and with his knowledge and strength it was his duty to find them and train them, but he must be wary not to alert Yaldaboath to his awareness of the game as they would still be taking on the guise of the kindly master of the velvet room, Igor.

Ren sighed and shook the thought of his mission from his mind, for now he had a horribly messy attic he had to make livable.

Niijima residence- 

Makoto was putting the finishing touches on her plating of tonight's meal; it was rare that her and her sister Sae had days she knew she’d be coming home early so she and her set up plans for dinner in advance and Makoto wanted to make it something memorable. 

The kenchinjiru had taken hours to properly come together but the results spoke for themselves with the savory and perfectly clear broth and the vegetables just tender enough to still keep their shape but fall apart when eaten. 

Next was the ginger rice that in her opinion was phenomenal but she would wait for sae to be the judge, and her final touch to help cheer up Sae after a long day was the nikuman buns; Sae’s favorite. 

As she had just finished putting together two plates, she heard her phone ring with sae’s jingle. But when she looked at the text it made her stomach drop and her appetite begin to sour; it read 

“won't be home tonight. My cards in the usual spot, order something for yourself, goodnight” 

Makoto gave out a heavy sigh and put Sae’s plate back in the kitchen to put away later before she sat down to her own, her excitement for the meal heavily dulled. She pushed away her thoughts wondering just how many times this was now that she’d forgotten on of their plans and grimaced when she realized that she’d over steamed the buns, 

“perhaps its better sis wasn’t here for this meal then’ her musimgs only being answered by an empty apartment 

Makoto would eat her meal in solemn silence, then carefully put always Sae’s own portion sans the buns which she discarded with an idle thought of “she wouldn’t eat them anyway”. 

That night as she lay in her bed trying to get sleep and clutching her buchi-kun plushie , she would try and ignore the tears that fought their way to the surface and the distant rattle of tightening chains. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> went back and edited this chapter a bit, wanted to add more to Rens conversation with his mom and have her reassure him that he did the right thing as well as hint that theres a bit more to the Amamiya family than meets the eye. Hope you all enjoyed it! cheers!
> 
> Update: when i posted the last 2 chapters i realized i misaligned the timeline a bit with the makoto parts so i swapped them around, as well as addressed the numerous typos i had ooh boy. To anybody that read the fic during that time its all fixed now and i'll be more dilligent with checks in the future, happy reading!


	3. Tightening chains

As Rens body finally began to give in to the exhaustion of the day as he finished the final round of mopping the young man sat back and took stock of the new home. Sorting through the various books resulted in some interesting finds, and cleaning off the workbench gave him an old toolbox to work with; deciding to leave the spiders in the rafters for another day he began to gather up the various cleaning supplies and head downstairs. 

The familiar scent of coffee grounds, cigarette smoke and curry spice were something he would never tire of as he headed down into Leblanc proper, noticing that Sojiro was at the stove preparing the next day's curry since there were no more customers. When he caught sight of Ren looking pitiful with his arms full of cleaning supplies, he shook his head, brushed his hands on his apron and walked over to give him a hand, his nose wrinkling as he got close to him. 

“sheesh kid, you smell like a wet dog. Figured you were working hard up there but I didn’t think you were cleaning so much you’d work up a sweat.” 

“Had a lot of work to do to make it livable” 

As he noticed Sojiros glare he quickly added 

“but I'm thankful to have the space at all” Ren never could shake off the fear Sojiros glare drilled into him 

Thankfully it seemed to placate him for the moment, since all he did mumble under his breath somewhat sounded like ‘lousy punk’ 

As they finished organizing the cleaning supplies in the bathroom Sojiro looked him over with a raised brow before shaking his head ruefully. 

“There’s a bathhouse just across the street, go rinse off. You stinking up the place is gonna drive off all my customers.” 

Ren couldn’t stop himself as he crossed his arms while looking over the utterly empty café before raising his own brow at Sojiro who only glared back before gesturing with his cigarette 

“Don’t you give me that look! Just do it alright, don’t get sassy with me; can't introduce you to the staff at shujin tomorrow if you smell like you slept in a dumpster.” 

Knowing he still needed to try and win him over Ren gave a slight bow 

“thank you, Sakura-san, I’ll do just that’ 

As he walked to the door however he couldn’t stop himself from taking in the rich aromas of the various coffees, and thinking on just how many wonders a hot cup would do for him. 

As he reached the door he turned as called to sojiro 

Having just returned to the curry pot he looked up at him in a huff, eyes closed for a moment before he looked up 

“what is it now kid.” 

“I worked at a café for a time and I'd like to lend a hand here if you’d allow me, I even got quite exceptional at brewing Jamaican blue mountain though I confess I haven't worked with such a wide selection as you have here” 

Ren knew it was a low blow to say he could make Sojiro a cup of what he knew was his favorite coffee but damn it was hurting to feel so distant to the person he regarded as a father. 

Sojiro glared at him from behind the steam of the curry pot, taking a long drag on his cigarette before exhaling a plume of smoke and stubbing it out 

“don't take too long then, when you get back, I’ll have it set up for you and after you gave yourself such high praise I'll expect to be impressed. Now get a move on! Can smell you even over the curry spice.’ 

Ren flashed him a confidant grin that he was certain came across as cocky from the way sojiro shook his head. 

“i won't let you down Sakura-san ” 

And with that he headed out the door to the bathhouse, a warmth like that of a cup of coffee filling his heart, 

Sojiro watched him leave before he gave out a heavy sigh, but didn’t stop that slight smile that broke his otherwise serious features. 

“that damn punk, he’s gonna make me soft I just know it. He's just lucky I'm always in the mood for Jamaican blue.” 

>Niijima residence, later that night -

Makoto Niijima was having quite possibly the strangest dream of life. While it was shameful for her to admit that whilst she was reviewing her higher mathematics she found herself lulled to sleep as she recounted the numerous formulae, unable to focus on studying with the taxing emotions of the day she curled up in bed around her plush and when she next opened her eyes she found she was in what looked to be a combination of a courtroom and a police precinct.

She sat in what looked like a police holding cell, her clothes replaced with ragged black and white stripped prisoner wear and a heavy iron ball and chain even clung firmly to her left leg.  
Beyond the bars there were two desks fit for police detectives on either side of the room; at the right desk sat a short young girl with a rigid unflinching stance in blue archaic prison wardens apparel, her blond hair done up in a tight braid on her back and while she didnnot turn her head the golden eye she could see was fixed on her.

In the left desk as if in defiance or simply contrast to the other, was the same girl. She wore the same clothes, had the same blond hair but was done up in to two small tightly wound buns, and she rocked back on her chairs hind legs with her own propped on the desk. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest and in one hand bore a police baton that intermittedly sparked with electricity.  
While the other had her head trained towards the center of the room where of luxurious blue circle of carpet sat emblazoned with a styleized V.R, she had her head and gaze fixed on her with her face locked in a sneering grin, revealing a black and gold eyepatch on her left eye.

It was then that a deep startling laugh pulled her attention to the back, where mostly in shadow and lit only by a hanging lantern stood towering over the room, was a judges seat and podium. There sat a spindly looking old man with a long nose, a broad vicious grin and strange wild eyes to match the wild white hair on the sides of his bald head.

The figure steepled his fingers and fixed his harsh gaze on her before he spoke in a low voice that seemed to enrapture attention as much as it commanded it.

"Welcome, trickster, to my velvet room!" 

Yongen-jaya bathhouse- 

A hot bath had been just what Ren needed; while he kept it to a brief rinse it had given him time to try and sort out this feeling that had been pestering him, like he had forgotten something critically important but he simply couldn’t place it. The hot water had allowed him to push it from his mind for the moment at least and replace it with looking forward to the coffee he’d be making which always managed to soothe in worries. It also gave him a chance to view his new physique and realize that that was what had caused him to double over in pain on the underground. Apparently during that lost year he’d put on approximately 20 pounds of muscle and had grown another inch, which explained where all the new stretch marks had come from as well as why his clothes had felt so tight today. Resigning himself to needing to go clothes shopping at some point he made his way back to Leblanc. 

Sojiro was punishing him for his cocky attitude he realized as when he came back in he had disassembled the coffee maker as if for cleaning. 

“with your confidence I figured you could get this done too” 

He smirked at him from across the counter but it quickly faltered as Ren with only a brief nod and affirmative noise diligently cleaned it and put it back together for use, he’d cleaned this exact machine hundreds of times afterall just maybe not in this timeline. It was then that he saw Sojiro take on a very neutral expression as he'd realized he may not have been all talk. 

Ren went about doing exactly as sojiro had once taught him, grounds to medium fine, pot to medium high and he kept his gaze on the exact formation of the brew bubbles, taking it off just when they began to form a certain way. He did however brew it for just slightly too long to give it more bitterness than it should, he wanted Sojiro to think he had more to learn from him afterall, which ren knew he did but just maybe not in this. 

He poured Sojiro his cup of coffee and made a show of going to grab the cream and sugar knowing that he would be waved off, which he was. Boss always took Jamaican blue mountain black, and would go on long explanations on how it ruined the subtle flavors. 

When sojiro pulled back from the first sip Ren forced himself o slowly exhale the breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he waited for his response, which in typical Sojiro fashion was subdued. 

“not bad kid, you boiled just a hair over but don't worry you’ll get that with time’ 

Ren didn’t realize how much he missed that look of surprise boss always tried to hide behind when he been shook by something, he also didn’t realize just how much he was looking forward to his next words. 

“so, you mean that...’ 

“yeah, kid I’ll admit I'm impressed. You can start helping out when you get the time after school. I’ll keep a close eye on you though.” 

He pulled the cup to his lips and took a long pull from the mug 

“pour yourself one and give it a try” 

As he eagerly poured himself a cup that he’d been looking forward to for some time sojiro continued as Ren came around the counter to sit next to him. 

“who taught you how to brew like this? certainly wasn’t in no chain café that’s for sure” 

“you're right, I didn’t work at that café for long but I still wanted to learn so a family friend gave me some lessons.” 

“well, I hope I can meet them someday, sounds like they have a lot of talent” 

As Sojiro pulled the cup to his lips with a contented smile 

Ren didn't fight his own nor the emotions that rose to the surface with it 

“he really does. A good man too, was like a father to me after I lost my own” 

His unknowing father figure in question nodded sagely as he reached over to set his mug down on the counter 

“it's good to have people like that in your life, bet learning it made you a hit with the ladies too huh?” 

Sojiro flashed him his signature knowing smirk that oozed charm but ren suddenly felt the need to push the conversation further and didnt know why. 

“Are you quite the ladies' man yourself Sakura-san?” 

A sharp hollow laugh came from sojiro before he took another sip 

“well first off kid if you’re gonna be working here feel free to call me boss instead of Sakura-san, I'm sure its starting to get tiresome. Second, no, no the only girl I have in my life is my daughter and even there I don’t feel like I know what I'm doing. She's got some intense problems she struggles with and sometimes I wonder if..” 

Sojiro stopped himself as he realized just how much he was saying, the look of contentment replaced with one worry and confusion, 

He quickly picked up his cup again and took a heavy sip as he stared forward to nothing in particular 

“...forget I said that.” 

Ren was still taken aback at how much he had gotten Sojiro to say with just a single sentence, so he simply nodded and they finished their coffee in silence. 

After Sojiro had drained the last of the coffee he stared at the empty mug for a few moments more, his brows furrowed in thought before he shook his head and grabbed his keys. The next words he spoke not bearing any of the familiarity Ren had eked from him 

“I'm closing up shop, make sure to clean up before you head to bed and don’t cause any trouble for the neighbors or I'll throw you out,” 

He quickly stalked to door, grabbing his hat and locked up leaving Ren to pour himself another cup and wonder in silence as to what just happened, and if he was the cause of it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one! muse is with me today i guess, wanted to touch on interactions with the people closest to Ren and Makoto as well as lay some more groundwork for what is possibly going on with Ren. hope you all enjoy it!


	4. Past regrets and new perspectives

The sound of the kettle's finishing click drew Makoto out of her stupor; shaking her head she poured herself her usual morning cup of tea; allowing herself to take things slower than she usually would before she headed into shujin, it was a sunday afterall.

Even as she tried to drown out her thoughts with a rigid morning routine she still could not shake her dreams of the previous night from her.  
A haunting room with blue curtains, eyepatch wearing twin girls, a long nosed man towering over them that spoke of her coming rehabilitation from her imprisoned heart. Then there was that irritating app that kept popping up on her phone. That dream though had just felt so vividly real but she couldn't well put off she needed to do because of some silly dreams.

As she sipped her tea her thoughts drifted to the new transfer student and how much of a hassle it had all been to even get him accepted.   
When she had read his file and then learned of Principal Kobayakawas swift dismisal of it she knew she had ro step in; some part of her rising to the surface to speak against such injustice.  
While Amamaiya Ren had not been a student for long at his old school his first exam results and general behavior suggested someone who would have quickly become honor student in a short amount of time if things had gone a different way, to her it simply wasn't right to punish someone for a single mistake that could cost them their future. 

In many ways standing by this person she did't even know, that by all rights was a violent criminal, had jeopardized much of her own clout and future at the school.   
Many teachers had given her flak for her insistance, and even her sister Sae had admonished her greatly for putting her future on the line for someone that was just a thug.   
Despite all her conviction in this, doubt still pulled at her mind that maybe this was a mistake, that if this many people she was meant to look up to had condemmed this boy that she should too, that all she knew of him was an impressive school report and he could very well be the violent criminal many were making him out to be. 

Makoto groaned in frustration as she rested her head against her hot mug of tea, now barely sipped as she had lost herself in thought.   
She looked up at the clock, saw that it was still a while before she had to leave but resigned herself to an early day as she poured her hot tea into her favorite travel mug; a buchimaru-kun original with a dark blue sleeve covering the whole of it.

Due to it's childish appearance Sae had once insisted she throw it out and get something more plain and with the blue sleeve by all appearances thats what she did.  
But she still knew buchimaru-kun was there, helping her throughout her day.  
As Makoto locked up the apartment door she couldnt stop a small smile spreading as she reflected on how much she enjoyed this little secret of hers.  
"Small rebellions"   
And with that thought she could feel a new fire within as she walked to the train station.

Road to Ayoma-ichome

Sojiro had been more brusk with Ren than need be this morning; wether it was because his cars engine was giving him trouble or of what he had accidently divilulged the night before he didnt know for certain, but he had a pretty good idea. Ren had offered to see what he could do to fix it as he had learned plenty at his mothers shop but Sojiro just fixed him with a heavy glare, his irritation palapable as he spoke.

"All you need to focus on right now is not screwing up your future anymore than you already have ,dont worry about my affairs."

The silence between them lasted much of the ride, broken up occasionally but a sputter and whine from his car, Sojiro's grummbling about the traffic and the train accidents, and his soft mutterings of encouragement whenever the car seemed to hiccup again.  
Knowing he needed to bridge this raidly expanding gap between them Ren threw caution to the wind and breached the awkward silence.

"Sojiro-san, why did you decide to take me in?"

Sojiro tilted his hat higher up over his eyes as he looked at him, the scowl he'd worn when they got in the car had softened but it was clear he still wasnt in a great mood.  
Even still his eyes merely narrowed at Ren before he sighed and shook his head, adjusting his hat before he spoke.

"I didnt ask to do it i just, agreed to it when it was offered. A regular of mine apparently spoke highly of me to your parents and -"

"-parent." Ren interjected

Sojiro simply cocked an eyebrow at him

"Its just me and my mom, my dad passed away when i was young" 

"…oh" 

Something about that seemed to soften Sojiros mood, his frown turning from one of frustration to one thinking deeply on something before he nodded slowly.

"Well, whatever your mother does seems to earn her a great deal, she sent me quite the handsome check as payment for taking you in"

Ren couldnt hold back the smile when he spoke next, the pride filling his every word.

"She runs the only mechanic shop in town, and it took a lot of effort but the people there finally started to recognize her for her skills. Its good to know they're paying her as she deserves." 

Sojiros demeanor shifted as he leaned back, that signature smirk working away his frown.

"A woman mechanic huh? Sounds like she would've had a lot of trouble with that. But i'm sure she'd be proud to know her son speaks so highly of her, if he hadn't gone off and gotten himself a record that is."

His eyes snapped open as he realized what he had said and just how it sounded as he rubbed the back of his head and fixed Ren with an apologetic look.

"Er, sorry i shouldn't have-" 

"Its alright"  
Ren said with a wave of his hand

"That was actually the reason i did this, pick up and move to the city.  
I could have stayed there and done my probation but i knew she would have had so much trouble just cause of my actions. She had just achieved a part of her dream amd i couldnt risk that anymore than i already had." 

Sojiro nodded slowly, his expression inscrutible and of one in deep thought.  
He sank lower into his seat, looking as is he had something he wanted to say but as he worked together the words the deadlock finally began to move that they were approaching the station and the immediate bussel of the other cars srymied the thought. 

"Alright kid lets hope the pace keeps up, we dont want to be late. Wouldn't set the best impression." 

Shujin Academy - 

As Makoto was heading back to the student council room to gather up the last of the things she needed to hand over to Amamiya-sans guardian, still unable to completely gather her thoughts, she turned a corner and almost ran headfirst into Mr.kamoshida.

Startled as her papers glided to the floor she realized that she needed to stop dwelling on that silly dream, it was clearly affecting her faculties more than she thought.

"Ah, Mr. Kamoshida im so sorry! Was simply lost in thought."

Kamoshida responded with his trademark flashy grin and held up his hands.

"Not to worry Niijima-san, im sure you were just focusef on your many duties."

As Makoto bent over to quickly gather up her papers he took ample pleasure in observing her figure, eyes lingering on her hips and how that skirt of her hid a lot than most would realize. With practised ease he put on his broad grin as she finished putting her file back together and gave a quick bow as if to leave.  
He put an arm out to block her path.

"Ya know, you work pretty hard Niijima-san and you typically dont get phased by it. If all this hassle with the delinquient transfer student was weighing too much on you im sure there could be a better solution to dealing with it all.   
Wouldn't want your studies to be affected by all this would we?"

Makoto was not well practiced at dealing with this from faculty members but as Kamoshida-sensei was one of the more vocal members against Amamiya-sans enrollment she knew what to say.   
So she put on her most likable smile and nodded her head reasuringly.

"Thank you for your concern Kamoshida-sensei, but i assure you that this is nothing i cant handle, and that this will be a great boon to shujins reputation. Amamiya-san was after all an exceptional student at his old school and-"

"You dont need to worry about the schools rep."

Kamoshida crossed his arms and his grin grew from one of casualness to one dripping with overconfidence.

"My volley-ball team will take care of that all on its own, once i take em to nationals its all the school will care about. Dont you think that that would just make a bad enviroment for this delinquent? After all he most likely wont get the attention he needs then to keep him from acting out again,good school record or no." 

His eyes narrowed and his voice softened as he stepped uncomfortably close to makoto, towering over her.

"I read the police file, they say he was trying to force himself on a woman and wounded an innocent man who was trying to stop it."

He stepped out of her space now, hands on his hips as he shook his head, eyes closed in thought.

"I just want to look out for your safety; you're a remarkabke student and i wouldn't want you to jeopardize your safety needlessly. You can be so trusting after all…"

The news of what he said was in the police report stymied Makoto, unable to find her words for a few seconds as she processed it all. If it was true, then was that really the kind of person she wanted to fight for? Risk the trust of her mentors for?

"Well, be that as it may, I feel the message of his success here could spur others to greater heights and help others before their situation gets as bad as his own. And i assure you that he will the support that is necessasary for every student here. Now if you'll excuse me i have to meet with him and his guardian in the principals office soon in fact" 

As she straightened her back and reminded herself that she hadnt even met the young man yet and that the best judge of character would always be herself she moved to make her way past Kamoshida she turned to regard him one last time. 

"And don't worry about my safety sensei, i'm well trained in akido and know more than enough to deal with a violent young man, if that is indeed who he is." 

As she made her way down the hall she hoped she hadn't let too much venom seep into her words.  
She'd forgotten one of her fathers most important lessons; all rumors, like lies, bare a piece of truth. There were rumors about Kamoshida-sensei that she had never really heeded, now she wondered just how much she really knew and what kind of person this student waiting for her would really be.

Principal Kobayakawa's office

He didnt think it possible but this was more uncomfortable a meeting than the last time Ren went through this, where he'd been told to be on his nest behavior and his teacher had accidently slipped a maid service coupon out of her pocket when she handed him his student I.D.

Now Kawakami was apparently unable to come in today and he would be having a meeting with the Student council president after this, and he was instead being told how much of a nuisance he had been paperwork wise.  
Ren quickly saw the light fade from Sojiros eyes as he realized he'd have to spend more time with this irritating man while his ward was elsewhere and the tension in the room was becoming palpable as Kobayakawa continued on his small tyraid.

"Now i'm well aware that you seemed to do well at your old school but here we actually have standards and expect you to not simply meet them but exceed them, am i clear as to what that means for you as his guardian Sakura-san?"

Kobayakawa addressed Ren with the stern glare of someone that didnt do very much suddenly being grossly inconvenieced and had repeated this same sentiment in various ways, each time expecting Sojiro to back him up but Ren already knew his patience was wearing thin with all this if his sigh was an indication.

"Look, as i said before i'm going to do all i can to keep the kid out of trouble but dont you think that this school should also-" 

The sound of the door opening behind him was a welcome relief to all in the room, but also sent Ren into a sudden panic as he realized he would be seeing Makoto, once one of his closest friends, and wasn't ready to be on the side of who she used to be before she had awoken her persona. The sound of her sweet sounding voice certainly didn't help him pat down his old unaddressed feelings either.

"My apologies for being late, another teacher required my assistance."

Makoto came to stand next to the Principals desk amd gave a small polite bow, and what caught ren off his guard most is that instead of the accusatory glare and slight aire of suspicion she had treated him with from his memories, she met his gaze with a soft smile that immedietly melted his anxieties like she always used to.

"Oh no, just like old times"  
Ren thought with a slight heat rising in his face, Something which based on the feeling beside him, Sojiro was well aware of and he just knew he wore that damn smirk of his.

"Thats quite alright Miss student council president it simply gave me more time to go over the specifics with Amamiya-sans guardian, now do you have the? Ah yes thank you."

Makoto quickly handed the file she'd been holding off to Kobayakawa and then looked to Sojiro which Ren silently thanked as it tore his knowing gaze away from the blushing boys face.

"I'll need to take Amamiya-san on a small tour to show him where his classes will be and will be personally ensureing he , i'm sure the Principal will be able to help you with any of the paperwork that needs to be sorted but i'm sorry there is quite a bit."

Sojiro's hand rested on his chin as he regarded her with a smile and brief nod

"Something i was expecting with taking him in, all worth it to make sure he gets what he needs to set his life straight. Besides he's already offered to help me out at my shop instead of freeloading so i cant think too badly of him, helps that he makes a pretry good cup of coffee too."

As he spoke Ren did his best to not let his shock show; he looked at him as if there would be some kind of answer to why he said all he did but sojiro simply gave him a smirk and sent a wink his way.  
The happiness he felt didnt last however as Kobayakawa felt the need to intrude, speaking with his fingers knitted together and his held high.

"Perhaps if you'd seen the actual police reports you'd feel a bit differently having someone like him work with your customers. Now Miss student council president i trust you can guide him from here? His guardian and i have much to discuss."

Makoto gave a swift nod and ushered ren to follow her towards the door; as he stood however he didn't miss the grimace sojiro wore as he mentioned the police report. But like a true stoic it lasted only a moment before he turned to him with a calm disposition.

"I'll see you later kid, and don't take too long. I need you to work on my car later don't I?" 

Ren was flabbergasted for a moment but he quickly regained his composure, returning his smile and gave a quick bow to them both

" Right, wouldn't miss it" 

On that final note he headed towards the door where Makoto was waiting for him and shut it thinking that it seemed like things were finally looking up. 

Makoto was slowly taking in the way Amamiya-san held himself, and while despite her best efforts she still couldn't really get a pin on how people felt or what was running through their heads, his soft smile as they walked throuh the hall told her enough. His slightly flushed appearence gave her cause for concern however.

"Amamiya-san, are you feeling unwell?"

Her statment shook him from his thought, or little did she know shook her from his thoughts, and he looked at her in confusion.

"Um, no? Just nervous i suppose but i'd say thats to be expected with all thats going on, let alone getting to walk with someone like you."

"Someone like me?"   
All she could do was return his confused expression, his own turning to one of slight panic.

"Um! I mean just someone as esteemed as you, yeah. Principal Kobaykawa spoke highly of you before you showed up, heh."

Finshing his thought with a chuckle and a clearing of his throat he looked at her with a bit more seriousness that reminded Makoto of someone trying to put their game face on, knowing it well as she'd done it plenty herself with peptalks in the mirror.

"Oh well thats good to know! He and i didn't exactly seen eye to eye on your admittance here and, well it was foolish of me to think that he wouldn't be anything less than professional" 

As they walked she noticed him perk up at that, his curiosity having been snagged but he seemed, somber? Upset? She couldn't really pin it down.

"Oh? The Principal was pretty clear that he wasn't all together pleased about my being here so, that would mean.."

Makoto sent a soft smile his way as he seemed to put it together.

"I felt it would be best if you were admitted here at Shujin,in spite of some of the faculty that were hesitent; after all your record shows that, even if for a short while, you were an exceptional student." 

"But what about what was in the police report, you dont really know anything about him!"   
Her doubts seemed especially agitated since her talk with Kamoshida, but she tried to push them aside that feeling.  
As she spoke she saw him look away and rubbed the back of his neck, a soft smile crossing his face as he chuckled

"Yeah well, i mean i wasn't at that school long but they were pretty eager to get rid of me. Came with being the weird homeschool kid i guess."

They passed by his homeroom and she told him about his teacher for rhe class, Miss Kawakami.   
He nodded along as she spoke but his attention was suddenly pulled to a student coming the other direction.

Dark hair tied in a tight ponytail, white turtleneck and shujin uniform skirt, with a brace for her left elbow and knee; Makoto knew her instantly but the sight of her made her feel slightly somber.

Shiho Suzui had been one of the first students she had come to after she realized she could do more for her fellows; her performace in her classes had been steadily declining and it couldn't have been for no reason, but she quickly realized that she still lacked the knowledge of how to actually talk to people to deal with their problems a d had only gotten stiff responses from her.  
Still all the same she sent her a gentle wave as she called out to her.

"Suzui-san! It's good to see you, were you here to brush up for your classes?"

Shiho was shaken visibly from her thoughts as makoto called to her, and already her gut began to sink as she saw the Student council president, knowing that if she hung around too long there would be all manner of questions being thrown at her. 

"Ah, no Niijima-senpai i was here to, do some practice with Kamoshida-sensei. He told me that, that i need to work on my recieving."

It was only then that shiho saw the tall wirey student next Makoto, he didnt seem familiar at all, and then it dawned on her and she realized just who he must be, and that he was the source of Kamoshidas most recent anger.

"I-I haven't seen you around here before, are you new?"

"Oh! Yes this is Amamiya-san, he'll be starting tomorrow isn't that right?"  
As Makoto turned to Ren for his reply she realized he looked far more pale that he was before, and seemed to be staring so manif and wide eyed at Shiho-san it scared her. And suddenly all her doubts seemed to alighn and tumble around her mind. Recalling just what Kamoshida and Kobayakawa had said.

"They say he tried to force himself on a woman, and attacked a man just for trying to stop it"

"Hmmph, if you had read the police report you may not be so quick to have him around others" 

She felt herself swallow hard in the moment she stared at ren, looking almost manic and wide eyed as he looked at shiho.  
"Could this, really have been a mistake? Have i allowed someone dangerous here?" Before her doubts could spiral any further she was broken from them as Ren spoke.

"Aha, sorry about zoning out there i thought i saw a spider on the wall behind you, always freeze up when i see em. But yes, i'll be starting tomorrow miss.."

"Oh! Suzui, Shiho suzui. Don't really know what you'll face here but it can be rough, think you'll be able to take it here?"

"Oh i'm sure of it, gonna take more than some diffiult exams and rough school days to wear me out. But i'm curious, what do you mean by rough?"

"Oh, just.."

Shiho suddenly seemed more apprehensive than Makoto had seen her before.

"just that, some of the teachers can be harsh, brutal even." 

"I imagine that is rough, especially since you seem like an athelete so it must weigh on you more so." 

Shiho seemed slightly taken aback and so did makoto, how would he know that?  
What was more surprising was that he seemed to sense the immediate shift in the air and worked to remedy it.

"Your braces for your elbow and knee, common for athletes, and your shoulders have a lot of muscle so you can either can beat ass like Niijima-senpai here or you're a killer on a court, i'm guessing vollyball? But then again i'm just spitballing here."

He quickly brought he hand up to brush through his floofy hair as he laughed.

Trying to pull her mind away from the fact that apparently he thought she could "beat ass" as he so colorfully put it and just how he knew that, Makoto instead focused on the fact that when he moved his hand so quickly, Suizui-san had visibly flinched, but masked it quickly. 

Her train of thought derailed as she realized shiho had just asked her a question, and was actually smiling at her

"Sorry, what was that?" 

"What did he mean by that Senpai?"  
A soft snorting giggle escaped her  
"You never really seemed like the type that could beat someone up."

Feeling the heat rise in her face as she saw that both Amamiya-san and Suzui-san were staring her, and that he had such an insufferably smug grin on his face like he knew this would happen.

"I would never! I just, practice akido for self defense." 

With that Suizui stepped closer a sparkle in her eyes

"Really? Where did you learn? Do they still offer lessons?" 

"Um, my late father taught me but i've kept it up at a gym in Ogikubo, but last i checked they were full up on students.S-sorry."

Makoto could see a crack in the Suzui's demeanor as she told her, she pulled back, brushing a loose lock of hair from her face as she looked out the window for a moment in thought before returning to the conversation.

"Oh, well it's fine! Just curious about it. I should get going but, Amamiya-san?"

The young man in question seemed lost in thought for a moment before he turned to her, as she offered a soft smile and a warm promise.

" I know just how difficult it is being the mew student, the rumor mill can be a real pain. My best friend Ann-chan still has lots of bad things said about her behind her back and, i want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to about it you can come to either me or Ann her. I promise she's a really good listener!."

"Well, if i have any brutal encounters with teachers too i'll be sure to confide in either of you, and the same goes to you. Anything thats bothering you, you come find me."

Makoto was still reeling by both their changes in demeanor; how he was able to befriend someone so quickly when he had literaly just met them, and how she was certain she saw Suzui-san stiffen for a momeent when he brought up "brutal encounters with teachers"  
But the smile he offered suzui-san beamed with such a genuine kindness that it seemed to ease her back to comfort, it surprised her even more when he turned to look her way.

"Or, if im not around you can always come to Niijima-senpai, my transfer process was rough and i wouldn't be here without her afterall. She's a pretty good at lending a hand"

..what? He, already thought so much of her? Suzui-san even looked suspicious as his words before she turned to her.

"That true senpai? You helped him get transfered?" 

Forcing herself to stay unflustered she responded.

"Oh um, yes but it wasn't just me. Though i did put in a lot of effort, a-and he's right that you can always come to me if you need to talk. Really." 

For possibly the first time in all their brief interactions Suzui-san looked at her with something she thought was appreciation and it was amazing to see such a welcoming smile from the usually pensive girl.

Shiho's smile didnt fade as she shook her head and cocked her hips casually

"Wow senpai, i thought you were just a studies only honor student but with helping out Amamiya-san, and the fact you do akido! You're a lot cooler than i thought. I really gotta go now but,it was nice talking to you. And good meetng you too Amammiya-san."

Both he and makoto gave a small wave to her as she left in a hurry, and even she could see she held her head a bit higher than before.

A beat of silence passed as they watched her leave and Makoto realized that they ought to hurry back to the Princpal's office. But her mind was still struggling to comprehend all that she had learned! Nonody had ever called her cool before! She had never really considered akido cool just practical but maybe it was to others? And then there was the revelation that Amamiya-san could apparently read people like a book and he already felt familiar enough with her to volenteer her time to talk to suzui-san! Which, she realized wasn't bad just unexpected,but 

Makoto pushed the spiral of thoughts from her head, another time she thought.  
But as she spoke up that it was time to head back she saw the expression on her fellow students face as he turned to her.  
The casual smirk, the kind eyes and slight slouch he had were all gone, replaced with an expression of seriousness that drilled into her and when he spole it bore none of the casualness it had before.

"That girl,Shiho. She needs help." 

"W-what?? What makes you say that? I mean, yes i've thought she'd been troubled for some time but you say that like she's…"

His expression remained unchanged but his arms were folded across his chest and the hardness in his eyes seemed to communicate what he was tryin to say:  
It clicked, the way shiho had been so excited by the prospect of akido lessons and the sadness in her words when she realized she wouldn't be having them.That flinch at his rapid movement and how she stiffened when he brought up ...

She could feel her eyes go wide and her mouth hang slightly agape as the dots connected and when she looked up at Amamiya-san she saw him grimmly nod.

"She's, she's being abused. Physically i would say and.."

He nodded along, his eyes no longer grim but full of something else she didnt recognize.

"I'm glad you saw it too, I hope you didn't mind that i said she could come talk to you, with your position i felt you could help her more."

"I..thank you, truly. Yes she should always feel she can come talk to me and i'm certainly going to get to the bottom of this."

Suddenly her expression grew pensive, brows knitted together in deep thought

"It's… embaressing for someone on the student council but i often have trouble getting students to talk to me, but you did it was such ease! You had only just met her, and you still put together that she may be struggling with something so awful.  
I, cant help but feel like i've failed already to not see her problem until now." 

Her arms tightened around her midsection as they walked slowly back, she could feel deeper doubts and guilt well up within her,even more for the doubts she had about Amamiya-san; after all of that there was simply no way that he was this criminal delinquet the faculty or police say he is. The fact that she felt he could be a danger to either her or Suzui-san felt so beneath her now it made her head ache as she tried to push away the thoughts but was pulled from them as she felt a gentle hand land on her shoulder and looked up into that determined expression he wore again.

"Niijima-senpai, you realized it too. You may have trouble understanding people but you recognized the signs when someone was hurting and you're already thinking on ways to help her i know it. I only figured it out so quickly because, i've seen it myself so i know the signs. You clearly have a lot on your shoulders, don't add more weight yourself."

With a small nod and that warm genuine smile he pulled his hand back, then a light pink filled his cheeks as he no doubt realized just how familliar he had gotten with someone who was his senior. 

She didn't try to hold back the giggle that left her at the sight of him looking so assured to downright sheepish as they continued walking.

" You may say that you simply knew the signs but you really do have an uncanny insight Amamiya-san, knowing just what to say to snap me out of my head is one thing but we've only jist met, and i'm wondering just why you hold such a high opinion of me already."

He suddenly looked panicked for a moment and she worried she had said something to upset him before he was calm once more, clearing his throat and taking his time to put together the words. 

"I, just learned how to be a good judge of character and when i found out that you were mostly responsible for this new chance i have, especially now that i have a criminal record and with the things that have   
been said about me i just, knew that you were a good person. And i dont think that my opinion is gonna change on that anytime soon." 

Trying to keep her blush from being too visible and lacking something to hide behind she just tried to walk faster ahead.

"I, thank you. I..we should get back your guardian must be waiting for you." 

"Ah, yeah he's probabaly cursing me right now for taking so long, but it was worth to get to know you better sensei."

He didnt match her pace as they walked and talked, keeping a leisurely stroll and still not ceasing the compliments which was making her actively try and keep her composure and not let her thoughts race. 

So she settled for nodding and an affirmative noise and out of the corner of her eye she saw his smirk seemed to grow.

"He's enjoying this!"  
She thought to herself, well two can play at that game, maybe. Hopefully.

She slowed her pace alongside him, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked at him with a smile.

"Well, Sakura-san seemed to have high praise for your coffee. Perhaps i should stop by and see for myself."  
"What was she saying?!?"  
Realizing just what she said sounded like she tried to formulate the words to backpeddle when she caught a good look at his reaction.  
He was, blushing? Heavily in fact and she could see him visibly swallow and tear his gaze from her to look ahead as whatever irritatingly charming thing was going to say died on his lips.

"T-thanks, yeah you should come by sometime. Its a good place to study." 

Was he? No, no he couldn't be he just must not be used to compliments like her. 

She allowed herself a small smile as they walked back to the Principals office. Thinking to herself that for all the doubts she had, this would shape up to be one of her better decisions.  
She could feel that fire burning within her again as she thought of Suzui-san, and how she wouldn't stop until she was certain she was safe, maybe she could find time to give her some akido lessons. And if her other fear was true, then she would habe to be careful, because now she suspected one of the teachers and she would get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter turned out far longer than i thought bit i couldnt find a place to break it into two easily so here! Have an update that is almost as long as all the others haha.
> 
> In this chapter we see one of Makoto's biggest problems, getting lost in her own head, and where she needs to grow  
> We also got to see one of Ren's biggest strengths which is his kindness and charm.  
> Also that Makoto makes him a mess.
> 
> Next chapter we'll get a good look at what he thought during all of that and i think i'll start introducing more the original trio of the phantom thieves. Eventually Ren and his activities will take a backseat to allow the others their chance to grow.  
> Hope you all enjoyed the update!


	5. shackles of the priestess

Sojiro and Ren were driving in quite the comfortable silence compared to the earlier, broken only by the occasional whine of an engine and Sojiros soothing words to his beloved car to just get them home safe.  
Ren was still processing all that he had gleamed and seen from his visit to the school; seeing Shiho for the first time since her suicide was more difficult than he could have imagined but it was tempered by the fact that she could be saved before it got to that, that Makoto could save her before it happened. 

Ren was surprised he was able to keep his cool when he first saw her, not simply due to the sudden flood of emotions and memories, but Satanael's grim laugh in his mind and the familiar chains that seemed to encircle her in his minds eye confirmed all he needed to know. She had the wild card in this world, and it all felt like a hilarious joke he didn't get the punchline of.  
Discovering that she was the person who had pushed for his admittance to Shujin was even more of an eye-opener and cemented the fact that this world was not like he once knew, and all his prior knowledge wouldn't always give him the advantage. 

Thankfully the long silence of the drive and sitting in traffic had given Ren time to ruminate on just what was going on with him.  
First Tae had seemed strangely approachable, then sojiro had let slip information in single conversation that had taken months to pry from him before as well as his defense of Ren to the Principal, and finally there was both Makoto and Shiho who had warmed up to him with ease and he knew it wasn't just because of his tighter clothing.

As he pondered these strange occurrences he felt a presence well up within his mind, reaching out to him a clawed gauntleted hand that Ren eagerly took. Feeling his personas rumbling laughter echo within his heart made clear just who was behind this.

"Satanael, i figured something supernatural and weird was going on here but i didn't think it was due to you. Care to explain or is it gonna be vague hand gestures?"

"Ah, i had wondered when you would notice my gift to you. The false god once granted you an eye to see beyond the the hearts of people, and reveal the unseen. With our pact fully realized i have you granted you a silver tongue to soothe the woes of the troubled, as to aid you in your role as a guide." 

"….please tell me I'm not mind controlling my closest friends." 

Ren could feel the roiling storm clouds in his mind ripple with a peal of thunder making it clear what Satanael felt.

"I am the other half of your heart young trickster, would we really resort to such vile methods?"

"Well damn, you got me there. So because of you i just, make me put their guard down around me?"

"Precisely; when your words reach someone they will find the wounds on their souls, the burdens they carry, lifted from they as you speak. This i granted to you so that you may heal said wounds and strengthen their hearts." 

As Ren could feel the connection between him and his persona begin to dim Satanael left him with one final message. 

"You may no longer feel you are the one to guide them all to victory, but your voice will be that which uplifts them all to they strength they've always known."

Before he could begin to fire off the numerous questions this revelation peaked in him, Ren knew he would find no answer and sighed internally.  
"He's always gotta get the last word in. Ah hell is that cause i do too? Questions for my potential therapist."

It was then that he realized Sojiro had jostled his shoulder and that they were stuck in traffic for the time.

"Ah, sorry Boss could you repeat that? My minds on a lot already this morning."

As Ren looked toward his guardian he saw that signature smirk he wore, even as Sojiro shook his head at the young man before he continued.

"I was asking if you got along well with the young miss President? Figured it would be good for you to make friends early but with you spacing out like that i have a feeling she's already on your mind." 

Ever the unflappable, so he liked to think, Ren merely pushed his glasses up on the side before he remembered that he had discarded them.  
Resigning himself to Boss's knowing gaze and light chuckle he did his best to cover up his fumble.

"Well, I was thinking in fact that she would make a good study partner, since I'm coming in late to the year that is."

"Mhm, and I'm sure that wistful look you had when she came in was just about the rigors of academia hm?" 

Ren could feel a proper sarcastic barb forming on his lips but bit it back, knowing he wasn't there yet with Sojiro. When Ren turned his gaze from the road however to give a polite response he saw the boss fixing him with a gentle but knowing stare.

"Look, you're young and you're somewhere new and I'm certain It's all very exciting to hit things off so well, but you gotta be careful alright? Don't go getting lost in the clouds when you need to keep your head down and out of trouble."

With that they both heard an obnoxious honk from behind as traffic began to ever so slowly move forward.

Sojiro's calm smile shifted into a grimace as he put the car in drive,  
The horn not stopping its blaring.

"Sheesh alright! Jeez, some people just don't have any patience huh kid?"

Tokyo underground

As Makoto sat waiting for her train to arrive her lose rope of patience was beginning to thin; but was thankful at least for the time to sit and think about what she had learned that morning.  
The more she ruminated on it the more she knew for certain that Amamiya-kun was right; Shiho was being abused and she truly felt it was her responsibility to help her, though her thoughts still clouded with self hatred over having not realized it sooner.

A plan of action was needed going forward, since the abuse was physical the abuser was most likely male, and one in a position of power over her.  
She didn't know much about the Suzui home life but resolved to find out more as soon as she could, if it wasn't someone in her family then it was also possible that it was someone at school, which was an even more chilling thought. Shiho had mentioned she was close to Ann Takamaki so perhaps he could give her more information on - 

The train was finally pulling into the station, and she had never been more pleased to hear the grinding of metal.  
As she moved on to the train proper however she felt herself rudely pushed to the side as two men in suits pushed past her, the argument they were having carrying over into the car.

"I can't believe our party is considering giving in to his platform, how could you allow this happen to happen Tanaki-san. I left it in your hands and you've failed me!"

As Makoto steadied herself and thankfully she realized that the businessmen had pushed past her to get to an open seat, and inwardly groaned as the momentary lapse had allowed all the others to be filled so she was forced to stand.  
Taking ahold of the rails handle the train quickly began to pick up its pace, and the businessmen loudly continued their argument near her, though she tried to focus on other things to avoid eavesdropping. 

"I did all i could to keep them from swaying Yamamura-senpai, but Shidos group seems to have strong armed many of members! Too many of them had changes if heart on the issues overnight it's the only explanation." 

"Or you're covering for your own incompetence! If you're going to take over me someday Tanaki-san then you'll need to have the backbone for politics! No matter, now that I've returned as the chairman of the party i will not allow us to be swayed by a dog the likes of Masyoshi Shido as long as i live."

Thankfully the loud businessman had ceased his tyraid and she was allowed several minutes of quiet to ruminate more on her discovers.  
She found herself thinking of Amamiya-kun, and just how both right and wrong she had been about him.  
She was right that he was intelligent and would bring a great deal to Shujin, but she had expected him to at least feel like someone who would have committed a crime which, while she was not the best just of character, she didn't feel from him in the slightest.  
He was uncannily insightful, able to deduce things about herself and Shiho within moments of talking with them. Weather that made him arrogant or skilled she still wasn't quite sure.  
And he had conducted himself with such kindness to them both it shocked her, and she still felt herself wondering if it was gain something.  
Needless to say she would work with him and aid his studies, but he caused enough questions that she knew she had to- 

"Yamamura-senpai?? Oh god, Please! Please i think he's having a heart attack is there a doctor here?!"

At the sudden crying out Makoto turned to see many other backing away from the two businessmen who had pushed her. And was met with horror as the elder seemed to be clutching his chest and gasping wildly, his eyes had rolled back into his head and dark blood seemed to pour from his mouth as he heaved, it was a sight that would haunt Makoto dreams she was sure. 

Shaken from her stupor and feeling of utter helplessness she saw someone push past her, claiming to be a nurse before a sudden jolt from the train knocked herself and many others over.  
Rising up from the floor she looked out the window and saw the lights of the tunnel rushing past and prodigious speed, and fear gripped her heart as the train car rattled uncontrollably, threatening to flip at any moment. 

Shrill screams and panicked cries tore through the air as more people began to rush for the conductors car. Something must have gone wrong was all she'd had time to think before she saw the body of businessman on the floor near her, skin pale and lifeless. 

Before she could even think to scream at the sight, the train car spun and the sounds of shattering glass and twisting metal filled filled hers ears. Light streamed through the windows as it seemed the car had run up onto the platform, she felt a sickening crunch and sudden warmth on the side of her head before the world burst into stars, and all was still. 

Somewhere in space and time,  
The velvet room

It was the rattling of chains that woke Makoto Niijima up next; she opened her eyes to see her hands bound together in shackles, her school uniform now ragged thin cloth bearing stripes of black of white like prison uniforms of old.

'I'm, back in that dream? In the, velvet room? But i was just..'

A sudden clatter on the bars of her holding cell drew her attention to the diminutive eyepatch wearing girls outside them.  
One bore a scowl and an electrified baton that clashed against the metal cell, Caroline she recalled and she was not to be trifled with.

Beside her stood a near mirror image of the girl, in her hands she held a large clipboard with several papers and offered her only a nod and blank expression as the other spoke. She knew her to be Justine, and was the only one who could calm her sister expect for…

"Stand up straight inmate! You're in the presence of our master!"

Caroline shouted and stomped a foot as she struck the cell bars once more.

"Yes it would be most wise to stand at attention and pay respect, before Justine electrocutes herself again." 

Caroline merely gestured for the inmate to approach as she spoke in a calm emotionless voice.  
Makoto had to bite back a giggle at the mental image she conjured of her counterpart, as well as the sputtering blushing expression it drew from her.

"W-what!? That never happened! Caroline tell the inmate that never happened! You forget that prisoner"

Before they Justine's voice could raise another octave a velvety rich and intimidating voice made itself known.

"Now girls cease, be on your best behavior for our guest. After all she may be a prisoner of her own heart, but she deserves respect just as you." 

As the twins heard the voice of their master the went rigid and stood at attention; Makoto's own was drawn to the back of the room where their master sat towering over them on the judges stand.  
Dim light from the hanging lanterns just barely illuminating the long nose, white hair, long boney limbs and broad ever present grin of Igor, the master of the velvet room.

Makoto gave a small bow to him before as she took in where she was, the motion more instinct that conscious thought.

A deep rumbling laugh was his response  
"How polite. You wear the shackles of the priestess well but do you truly believe me worthy of such respect young trickster?, we are after all but pieces in the grand game."

The trickster in question grasped the bars before her, and looked ahead with a glare that demanded answers.

"You called me that before. You also said i was a prisoner of my own heart and spoke of rehabilitation! I don't know what you are but i know this isn't a dream and i know this isn't how you conduct yourself for such a task!." 

The bars in her grip creaked with rage that surprised herself more than anything, but seeing a judges stand be treated as something to look down on others from angered her more than she thought, even more as Igor chuckled lightly at her display.

"Such fire! You will do well to use that to inact the justice you seek, lest others abuse your heart as they have before, and still do."

Long articulated fingers drummed upon the wood where Igor sat, his manic grin seemingly growing wider.

"Your answers will be found in due time, but until then i commend you for seeing past the veil of illusion and trusting another that has been wronged by the masses."

'Trusting another? Wronged by the masses? Did he mean..'

"However, until you can strengthen the bonds of those around you and embolden their hearts, you will have no chance at stopping the coming ruin." 

Two of Igor's spider like fingers pinched together in the air before he continued.

"Now. It is time you returned and faced the actions of those who would stop you. Farewell trickster, I'll be watching. Do try and stay alive this time, and discover what piece you were missing to stop the coming ruin." 

'..stay alive?'

His words echoed in her mind like the gonging of a summit bell but before she could question he snapped his fingers and Makoto's vision became hazy stars as she felt herself falling. She jolts awake, eyes heavy and pained as she took in her surroundings.

She stood exactly where she was on the train not moments before, arm held up high gripping onto the rail, the argument between the two businessmen was playing out just as it did before, right at the start. 

Panic.

Makoto desperately tried to keep from hyperventilating as she took in the new reality she was in, focusing on exactly what she knew to keep herself calm.  
First, the loud businessman had what seemed to be a heart attack, but the blood she saw coming from his mouth implied anything but. Then the train picked up speed and began to lose control, then…she died. And if she died it was reasonable to expect that many, if not all, had died as well. 

She had to stop the train from crashing, that had to be what Igor meant by the coming ruin. But how?  
Her analytic nature was, thankfully, allowing her keep the fear and panic at bay as she once more reviewed the facts.  
There was only maybe, 6 minutes between boarding the train and it crashing, not enough time to get to other cars and warn people, but maybe she could get to the front and see just what caused the train to lose control. 

With desperation fueling her she pushed her way forward amidst the throng of tightly packed people.  
If it were a different situation she would have felt a world of embarrassment to be breaking so much social decorum as many voiced their discomfort and outrage as she pushed past.  
By the time she managed to make it to the front the train had already picked up speed, so much so that people were already falling over each other as the car shook.

With great effort she had managed to make it to the door of the conductors room, the doors window showed him unmoving, but at his side he held the broken lever to the trains speed controls. She could see the approaching train platform in the forward window and knowing she would be living through this hell again brought tears to her eyes. As she looked past the doors window however, she saw the conductors face reflected in the glass before him. Eyes rolled back, veins bulging, and blood seeping from his mouth. 

Her eyes went wide with realization before the train impacted and she was sent flying.

She lay in the dark face down on cold metal that seemed to burn, and she realized it was due to a hot pain beneath her left eye.  
Eyes still adjusting to the world around she tentatively reached up, finding it painful to move her arm as well as she felt the tacky feeling of dried blood on her cheek and a sharp piece of metal in her skin where the burning was located. 

'I'm...alive? So i couldn't have stopped the train i just needed to. Needed to live'

Resolve gripped her as she steadily rose to her feet, and terror slowly took its place as she found her chest awash with blood, but she felt no injuries there. 

As she stood she realized in horror that the blood was not hers, but belonged to the shattered skull on woman who layed nearby.  
Who must have broken her fall, and kept her alive.

Already feeling hot tears pour down her face she saw more and more unmoving bodies twisted and broken like the train they were in and then a sudden wrenching of metal broke the stillness and she nearly buckled right there. 

Down the corridor the trains entry door had been pried open and light poured in, a flashlight fell on her and she heard a voice call out shouting  
"I found another!"  
Before she could stagger her way over to them however she felt her view going dim again and idly wondered just where she'd wake up next.


	6. Raise a little havoc

Tokyo central hosital

The sounds of this damndable room were starting to get to her; if it wasn't the ticking of the clock that reminded her just how long she had been here, it was the sound of slow melodic breathing from her unconcious sister that set her on edge for a reason she couldn't quite pin down.  
Maybe it was because she was here, in this hospital that already had so many bad memories attached and she couldn't bear to have Makoto become yet another. 

Sae Niijima let out a heavy sigh and massaged her temples, eyes closed in thought as she leaned in her chair across from her sisters hospital bed.

'Or maybe it's because i know i'm getting further behind on work' she thought with a bitterness that she knew didn't help, but was more true than the others.   
Before she could wallow in her thoughts any further the hospital room door opened with a soft click, and in stepped a figure she hadn't seen for years. One that she hadn't particularly wanted to see herself, but that Makoto would be pleased with monetheless.   
He hadn't spotted her yet, off to the side as she was. 

Jiro Ishida, her fathers former partner, had aged much since she last saw him 2 years ago.   
Head still full of hair, now thin and greying to match his beard, the glasses were new and would normally conceal the look of supreme sadness his brown eyes held and he looked Makoto all bruised and bandaged as she was. But his relieved smile let Sae know he at least still cared about one of them.

As he closed the door and turned to hang up his coat he caught sight of her and to his credit he didn't seem startled, but offered her the smile and nod of an old friend that held none of the comfort. 

"Good to see you are doing as well as you can Sae-san."   
His voice was still like course sand, from the cigars he always told her sister, but the thin scar on his throat they both knew was under his black turtleneck was a different matter.

Sae offered a stiff nod in turn and a sip of her now very cold coffee as she turned her gaze back to Makoto.

"Any news about what caused the accident?"

Her questions to him were always sharp and to the point, and to his credit he didn't seem to expect anything less.  
He placed a bouquet of pink carnations in the vase by her bedside before he pulled up a chair and with one shaky leg eased himself into it.  
'So he still remembers some things' Sae thought to herself.

"It seems like it was a problem with poor safety and maintenance regulations for the trains speed controls,heh i imagine you're gonna have a field day with that one"

Sae could practically feel the wrinkles forming with how deeply she furrowed her brows at that  
"All those lives lost because someone decided they could cut corners and not face the consequences, yes i'll see to that myself." 

Her thoughts still nagged at her  
'You have enough to deal with as is, let this go down the chain.'  
But a part of her still wanted to believe she could see justice brought to whoever had, even inadvertantly, brought harm to her baby sister.

Jiro shook his head before he sat up and began to lool over her chart.

"I've read that enough times now to summerize it for you"   
Sae said, unable to keep the boredom from her tone.  
"Minor laceration under left eye, thankfully not requireing stiches.  
Several bone bruises to 3 ribs on her right side, and a dislocated left shoulder that thankfully was easy to put back in place."

As Jiro placed the chart back and sat down he let out a low whistle.

"Wow, pretty major miracle there that she's not more hurt."

"You shouldn't underestimate her resilence Ishida-san."

"I'm just, just glad she's alright is all." 

There was several tense moments between them, their gazes locked on Makoto's sleeping form and the silence only broken by the occational sip of cold coffee and that damndable clock.

Jiro shifted uncomfortably in the silence, 'still wasn't able to handle being around her for too long' Sae thought.

"..sooo I uh-"

"Why are you here Ishida-san."

Jiro could only blink dumbly for a moment

"I, i heard that Mako was in the accident and i couldn't just sit by, had to make sure she was alright and-"

"I mean why are you here, in this hospital? I believe you were blacklisted."

The man in question and seemingly on trial rubbed the back of neck and shifted awkwardly.

"Ah, i know some of the nurses. Old friends and when they heard that she was here i-"

Sae's gaze turned to him, hard and narrow and he quickly sputtered out a response.

"N-not those kind of friends! Just people that lend a hand yeah? Contacts for some P.I jobs i've worked. Good people." 

Her gaze remained on him for only a sencond more, but what felt like hours for Jiro before she hers eyes softened and returned to the bed.

"I know, you wouldn't be here, in this room if they were otherwise."

More tense moments of silence before Jiro went against his better judgment and voiced a question that wouldn't leave his mind.

"Sae-san i gotta ask, why would you bring her here? To this hospital? Given, just everything."

Something happened he wasn't expecting; he thought he would see her whirl on him with the fire of that signature Niijima glare and demand he leave but instead, she looked so sorrowful and full of regret for just a moment, her mask slipped. And her response was indirect and easy, unheard for Sae.

"It was the closest, and has an exceptional staff."

It clicked for him then, and he understood.

"You haven't told her."

Sae uncrossed her arms, both reaching out to take her sleeping sisters bruised hand.

"I, can't yet. She deserves to but, It would be just too much and she-"

"Hey, i get it. Really you don't ever got to explain yourself to me. But you know that."

As his words reached her she felt her mask return in full, and a sudden sense of hate pulsed through her as she realized she had allowed herself vulnerability and around him of all people, like she was a child again.

Before she could thank him for the flowers and that it was time he left, Makoto began to stir awake and Sae's heart lept into her throat.

Makoto's crimson eye's were heavy but took in the bright hospital light with glee.   
The knowledge that she was here, and could feel her heart beat meant she was truly alive and trapped in that hell she could have been.   
Before she could think about Igor and the Velvet room she felt a pair of hands grasp hers in excitement.

"Makoto!" 

She heard her elder sister Sae with both a mixture of joy and breathless fear.

Both the Niijima sisters eyes met, broad smiles crossing their features before Makoto winced and Sae frowned,reaching out her hand to cup her cheek but pulled back and smoothed out her blazer.

"That cut was the only major injury, it'll scar sadly but you could have lost an eye. You should consider yourself lucky."

Her words were the epitome of Sae Makoto thought. Blunt, true and devoid of anything else.   
All she could think was how of course she was lucky, she had two chances to survive while everyone else barely had one. And even with that, she was useless to stop it. 

Tears poured from her and she found her hands pulling Sae into a tight hug she wasn't quite ready for, but to her credit she held her with care becore a sudden wheeze from Makoto caused her to lay her back down. 

She gave a light laugh and smiled at her big sister with her worried expression before trying to wipe away her still flowing tears.  
"Hah, I'll be okay sis. You're right that I'm lucky though, should have broken a lot more"  
It was then that she heard a voice she hadn't expected nor dreamed of hearing in many years.

"Hey now kiddo no need to cry, trust me the train looks a lot worse."

Makoto's eyes went wide before turning to her left, and saw the face of a dear family friend she hadn't seen in many years and felt herself break into a wide smile in spite of the pain.

"Uncle Jiro!"

Her hand extended towards him and he held it dearly, giving a gentle squeeze as he fixed her with his own grin and reached up to brush a thumb across her cheek, wiping away a tear that was replaced by another. 

"Ahh that'll heal nicely, just gotta make up a good story to go with it. I'll see if i can get you 'I lived through a train derailing and all I got was this kickass scar' T-shirts."

Despite everything Makoto had been through that day, the trauma both physical and mental, and the deaths both hers and others, she still couldn't stop herself from giggling at Uncle Jiros terrible sense of humor and awkward jokes.   
'But at least he's still trying' she thought.

Makoto let herself smile at the familiar company before Sae brought hers and Jiros attention back to the matters at hand with a brief 'ahem'.

"You'll need to stay in the hospital for another day or two, we need to make sure there wasn't anything overlooked or if something is less severe that it seems. I'll arrange it all with your school so you don't have to worry."

Makoto was silent as Sae spoke, hands bunching up the sheets as she thought of both all she would miss in those few days, and what would become of Shiho during that time. And then finally, she found her voice.

"Sis, i can't stay here any longer. You said it yourself that my injuries are small and being here longer won't change that. And, and theres people relying on me to be there. Not just the teachers, or for me."

Sae's arms crossed firmly across her chest, her signature for not backing down.

"Tsk, don't tell me you're talking about your foolish project with that criminal student. If it weren't for you being so stubborn you wouldn't have been on that train to begin with!" 

To their credit, both the Niijima sisters kept their voices even but firmly set, neither giving ground.

"It was the right thing to do sis. To ignore his plight would have been an afront to justice! And-

Sae didn't try and hold back the scoff she let out when her sister brought up justice. But Makoto noticed that she didn't brush off that the supposed criminal in her eyes did in fact have a plight he was suffering.

-and It's not just him, I'm the student council president afterall,I can't afford to let others down when I'm needed."

Sae was silent for a moment, head lowered and eyes closed in thought before she rubbed her temples and sighed once more.

"…this is truly important to you. Fine, I'll see about you getting released later today but you won't have Akido practice for the requisite time! Are we clear?"

Seeing her little sister nodding and so happy to have her way made a smile crack Sae's perfect mask.  
But it quickly fell back into place when she realized she would have to leave so soon after.   
Standing up and grabbing her bag from the bedside table she leaned over to give her baby sister, ao quickly growing up, a kiss on her forehead.  
And seeing her look up so sad was almost enough to make her shirk her duties.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"I have to of course, spent too much time here while I'm too close to my deadline for a case. But I'll be back later to pick you up."

She took her sisters hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I love you Makoto, and I'm glad you're safe."

She gave her one more genuine smile, and a stern glare and a nod to Jiro as she made her way to the door.

"Ishida, visiting hours will be over soon." 

"Right, i haven't forgotten Sae-san."

The gentle swoosh of the door marked her exit, and Jiro saw just how much Makoto was affected by her sister leaving so soon after her waking; almost as if it were a courtesy and while he knew better, Mako may not have.

"So, theres a criminal student you've been helping? And you're already concerned with justice? Sounds like you already know not to judge people by rumor and it looks like you've got a pretty good story to tell me kiddo."

Jiro Ishida leaned back in his chair, pleased to see the color and smille return to his would be nieces beautiful face as she told him of her recent trials and what she had experencied with her brief meeting with this boy.  
Content to pretend he belonged here for just a momemt longer, he would listen to her talk like her father always would have. 

Shibuya, the next day

Ryuji Sakamoto yawned deeply, and without care as he walked to the busstop with his friend in tow.

School days after a long shift always sucked, they weren't many but they always made school drag on even more than it already did. 

"Come on Ryuji you're so slow in the mornings, i want to get out of this rain already!"

Ann Takamaki was well ahead of him, her bright blond pigtailed hair shining in the morning sun.  
Ryuji was about to retort before he as interupted by another yawn as he finally caught up with her

"Pff,ease up it's barely comimg down, and you're one to talk! You won't even move out of bed until we're practically late! Aaand you still somehow take up all the time the in the bathroom. Aaaand, um.."

Ann gave a chuckle and shook her head, pulling her hood up more to keep her hair out of the gentle rain.  
She looked to Ryuji with a smirk and a hand on her cocked hip as he struggled to conjure up more 'cutting barbs'.

"Ya done already?"

With a defeated sigh Ryuji nodded.  
"Yeah, thats all i got. I hate how quick you're able to get all set for the day. It's unreal ya know!"

"Can't beat natural talent and grace."

As they approached as spot to sit out the rain they both slowed, there was a boy there wearing a Shujin uniform that neither recognized.   
Infamous as they both were at the academy they had gotten familiar with all the faces talking behind their backs; Ryuji about his 'violent delinquent' status, Ann for her heritage and all the terrible rumors that beauty in a high school brings.

Ever the more outgoing of the two Ann was the first to call out and get his attention with a wave and her perky smile as they approached.

"Oh hii! Haven't seen you around Shujin before did you like just join or something?"

The boy, who they now saw had impossibly fluffy hair put away his phone with a warm smile as he looked their way.

"Just transfered here as a second year, looking forward to all the weirdness the school brings."

Ryuji only shook his head 

"Maaan i wish Shujin was weird, ain't nothing exciting ever happen there. Though we do have this new guy coming with all kinds of crazy...ohhhh!" 

Ann elbowed him sharply in the side before he blundered any further and gave the fluffy haired boy an apologetic look.  
To his credit he simply laughed and brushed a hand through his hair.

"It's alright, yeah thats me, Ren Amamiya. I guess the rumor mill is already churning with all kinds of things? As long as they haven't figured out I'm traficking elephant tusks"

Ryuji gave a snickering laugh that died as he and Ann shared a tense look, then Ryuji sheepishly broke the news.

"Uhh seems like, people are making all kinds of shit, like you being a criminal and stuff."

"But we don't believe things like that!"  
Ann was quick to add.  
"I'm Ann Takamaki and this is Ryuji Sakamoto; the rumor mill at shujin says all kinds of lies about us so just don't pay them anymind!"

Ren didn't seem phased by the bad news they broke to him, still keeping his smirk and carefree attitude as he leaned against the overhangs wall.

"I see. Well It's a good thing i've met the two of you first then.  
I take it you're Suizui-sans Ann? We ran into eachother yesterday when i was meeting the Student council president."

At the mention of her best friend Ann gave a wide grin.

"You already know Shiho!? Well then it's settled i'll look out for you too then!"

Ryuji piped up to make his support known with a jovial grin.

"Yeah! And i bet Ms.Robot was giving you the 3rd degree about everything huh? She's always working some angle for the teachers."

Surprising both of the blonds Ren's brow furrowed at his words and he adjusted his bag for a weight that didn't seem to be there.

"Mako- I mean Niijima-senpai is a lot kinder than people give her credit for. At least from what i've seen. It was her effort that got me into Shujin despite my record and um, she's just nice."  
Ren rubbed the back of his neck thoughfully, mind clearly elsewhere.

Ann shook her head with a knowing smirk, oh boy he was already smitten. Maybe she had misjudged The Prez after all if she could do this to a guy.   
As she turned to Ryuji hoping he might share in her glace she found him glareing past her with a barely contained fury, and when she turned to follow his eyes her gut sank.

A dark blue sedan pulled up alongside them.

"Hey there Takamaki-san!"

Kamoshida sat leisurely in a dark blue tracksuit to match his expensive sedan, rolling down the window to flash Ann that sickening grin and finding his his gaze already make her uncomfortable but ahe put on her mask regardless.

"Oh! Hii Kamoshida-sensei"

Ren saw that Ryuji had turned away the moment the gym teacher pulled up, eyes downcast and full of smolderng hatred but he knew it wasn't all towards the one who ruined his future in track. 

Kamoshida glanced up towards the sky and saw it's darkening clouds.

"Need a ride to school? It's only right that a teacher help his students after all and i wouldn't want you to get caught in the rain."

Ann kept up her bubbly attitude as she twirled a lock of hair.

"Oh um, sure! Didn't bring an umbrella or anything."

Kamoshida leaned across to open the car door, and as Ann walked forward to get in Ren found himself stepping forward to say somthing, anything really to stop this.  
And when he found Ryuji's hand on his chest stopping him he could only look at him in shock.

"Don't, theres a lot you don't get yet man."  
Ryuji whispered to him, looking up with eyes no longer filled with fury but simple grief. 

There was a resounding 'THUMP' of the car door, and then they both heard Kamoshida's voice call out.

"Hey. Sakamoto. You and your friend want a ride too?"

A brief pause as Ryuji lowered his hand from Ren, but he still didn't face the car.

"..Nah, i gotta show this guy around School after all." 

Ren was't lookimg at Kamoshida, only the defeated look on his someone who had been his best friend in a different time. But he was drawn from his thoughts as Kamoahida addressed him next. 

"Ah, alright. Well just don't be late. And you! You're the new transfer student right?"

With a calm that could only come from staring down a prosecutor while you awaited your own assassin, Ren nodded stiffly.

"Hmf, well you'd best steer clear of the likes of him. You can't afford to get caught up in the wrong crowd after all."

The window rolled up, Ren caught one last look of Ann's faltering mask, and they drove away. 

With a heavy sigh Ryuji ground the heela of his palms into his eyes then dragged hia hands down his face.   
It occured to Ren then that he had never seen his friend so tired. 

"See ya man."

Ryuji spoke up, hands slipping easily into his pockets as he slouched forward.  
Ren could never leave his friend like this, and even if he wasn't yet he still wouldn't.

"Hold up! Thought you were gonna show me around."

Ryuji turned back to him wyes wide and mouth slightly open, words seeming to escape him; so Ren did his best to push forward.

"Figured you might know a shortcut, best to stick together if i gotta get there quick to meet my homeroom teacher."  
He flashed his friend a kind cocky grin, the one he always used to use to let Ryuji know he was with him, and even in this different timeline, it still seemed to work as Ryuji slowly grinned back.

"Yeah, yeah man i do!"

Ryuji jabbed his thumb towards the nearby alleyways.

"Just gotta cut through here!."

Ren gave a firm nod, still keeping his smirk as he fell into step beside his friend.

They walked in silence for a moment before Ren realized just what he had to say.

"so…that guys a total asshole."

Ryuji threw his hands up in the air with a cry of frustration.

"Effin, right?! You just met the guy and you already know! But people always talk like he's, like he's!"

"-like he's the king of the castle."

Ryuji gave Ren a friendly smack on the shoulder as he finished his thought.

"Effinn, thank you man! You get it."

Ren gave an affirmative nod, and realized he had once again tried to push his nonexistant glasses up before continueing.

"No sweat man, and hey! I saw some people walkimg their dogs nearby, could always break into his car and leave a nice dog turd on his pedals."

Ryuji turned to him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in a slight smile.

"For real? You can do that? Shot man, guess you weren't kidding when you said you had a record."

"The record I got is as fake as Kamoshida's smile, the probation is real though. Still, doesn't mean i don't have a few tricks up my sleeve." 

Ryuji looked downright devious for a moment before a deep frown set in. Shaking his head he turned to Ren, eyes and words utterly serious.

"Amamiya, as much as he deserves that you really shouldn't. Kamoshida…he's got reach. I can't really explain it but, you're already gonna have a hard time here and you don't want him making it worse. And I know we've just met but, I hope you'll trust me when I say that he can make not just your life hell, but hell for anyone you care about."

Ren nodded thoughtfully along, realizing just how much downtrodden this Ryuji was, and that he needed to be tactful if he was going to help him out of this.

"Alright. I'll trust you, still doesn't mean I like it but I guess I'm not in a good position to cause a fuss."

Ryuji let out a sigh he didn't realize he was holding, he could see Shujin down the alleyway anyhow so it was beat they don't talk about shit like that within earshit of teachers.

"Thanks man, and uh"

The blond rubbed the back of his neck as he put his thoughts in order.

"Thanks for not asking about earlier. With Ann. It's all kind of, god man i don't know. Just thanks. But i gotta ask man, what you said you'd do earlier was some hardcore delinquet shit. Why would you offer to do that when you're on probation?"

Ren nodded, giving Ryuji a firm before answering.

"Cause I can't stand abusers. And if people are gonna treat me like a delinquet then…"

He gave a shrug, a cocky smirk crossing his face before straightening his uniform one last time; god he needed to order new shirts these were a bit too tight now for his liking.

"..I might as well raise a little havoc." 

Ryuji's laugh was a harsh barking thing, and Ren had missed it terribly.

"Heh, alright man. I can get behind that. Oh and uh, you can go ahead and call me Ryuji, no need for all that Sakamoto-kun crap okay?"

As they came out the alleyway and made their way up the steps, Ren realized that he would actually be on time on his first day.  
He gave Ryuji a friendly smile at his words, knowing that the day was already looking up.

"And you can call me Ren. Thanks, Sakamoto."

Ryuji gave him a look of mock pain.

"Ohh,thats cold."

Two delinquets shared a laugh as they made their way up the Shujin Academy steps, and Ren knew things might actually be alright for once.

Student council office, Shujin Academy

Makoto had been partially regretting not staying in the hospital longer;she had come in early to begin compiling her notes for her investigation into the possible abuser in Suzui-sans life, and if it wasn't the difficulty of having bruised ribs and an arm in a sling that was exhausting her, it was all the people who insisted she go home.

From the school records her parents were busy people, her father ran a clothing store in the Shibuya underground, while her mother was a substitute teacher who worked at a daycare for young children when she wasn't subbing.   
Both professions that would keep them quite busy, and possibly overworked and stressed. But enough to cause one or both of them to begin abuse of their daughter felt like a bit of a stretch. 

She had put her notes on family life aside until she could find someone to interview who was more knowledgable on it, someone like Ann Takamaki that Suzui-san had brought up yesterday would fit.   
One of her fellow studnt council members, Mei Toyama had informed her that Ann,who she refered to as a 'stuck up bitch' worked as a part time model and was always hanging around Kamoshida-sensei. Rumor was that they were even dating.   
Pieces had began to fall into place with tha rumor; Kamoshida was one of the few male figures in Shiho Suzui's life, and whats more held a position of power over her. 

Makoto had began to put together a file on Kamoshida with what little she already knew. There was an altercation regarding one Ryuji Sakamoto last year; he had attacked Kamoshida, supposedly without reason, and it had resulted in Sakamoto-san habing his leg broken. He had always had a notoriety for being a brash punk but now Makoto was reminded of Amamiya-kun, and how there had to be more to his story so why not Sakamoto-sans?  
Rumors of abuse to members of the volleyball team was all she had at the moment, but it was enough to paint a picture of suspicion in her mind. What sealed it however, was seeing Takamaki-san with Kamoshida-sensei as she walked down the hall to the faculty office to return her research, and saw the brief unmistakabke look of fear in her eyes as Kamoshida put a hand on her shoulder and steered her down the hall. The same look that Suzui-san had when Amamiya-kun had moved too quickly.

Before she even had a chance to hesitate she felt herself calling out to them, and what felt like a vaugely familiar voice ring out in her mind.

'If you cannot find the justice that you seek…'  
'Then make it'  
She heard herself finish

"Kamishida-sensei!"

Thankfully they both turned, his hand still on her shoulder though her visige was now one of a bubbly smile that faltered again to concern as they took in her bruised appearancs.

"Ah, yes Miss Pre- Niijima-san!? What happened to you?

Makoto did her best to keep her voice and features even as she has spoken of this so much this morning already. Despite the fact that a part of her was screaming in panic.

"I was on the train yesterday when it derailed but i'm perfectly fine. Now, I have need of Takamaki-sans assistance this morning. So it's rather fortunate that i ran into you here."

Ann's smile suddenly vanished in confusion.

"Huh? Wa-what do you need me for miss prez??"

Kamoshidas eyes narrowed though his kindly smile never faltered.

"Yes. Awful early for student council business isn't it?"

"Nothing for the student council, but it doea concern-"

"Well if it's nothing for the student council it can wait can't it? Really you should probably just-"

"It's about her grades!"

The lie came unbidden from Makoto's mouth, the back of her mind screaming at just what she was doing.

"Her modeling agency called the school to inform us that with her slipping grades she may not be eligible for the programs she applied for once high school ends."

Ann's look of shock and confusion deepened, then her eyes widened in realization that left her even more confused.

"O-oh, oh yeah! I had totally forgot that they told me about that! Jeez I didn't think they'd call the school so soon though…"

Ann looked up to Kamoshida as she stepped forward, his hand tifhtening on her shoulder for a moment before falling to his side.

"Sorry sensei, i'll have to help you later. Might not have much free time though if i'm gonna begin private tutoring with Miss. Prez here to get my grades up."

Now it was Makoto's turn on the backfoot, she felt her expression falter into one of shock before she caught herself once more.

"Um!, yes. I see you're already aware of the situation and what your next step forward is. Please follow me to the student council room so we can discuss it further." 

Makoto began to walk back down the hall; Ann gave a brief wave to Kamoshida before a little too loudly shouting.

"Lead the way Miss.prez!"

After a tense silent walk back down the hall, Makoto closed the door to the student council room and locked it. 

Ann sat down at the table, a heavy sigh escaping her as she looked Makoto's way.

"Um, not that i don't really appreciate what you did back there, and I'm stll trying to figure out why, but I'm gonna be late for class soon sooo"

Makoto sat down opposite her, grabbing her notebook and pencil.

"I'll inform Kawakami-sensei that you'll be helping me with a project. Don't worry."  
'Another lie? To someone else we trust?' A diffrent smaller voice of doint piped up in her mind, but was quickly snuffed when she realized that she didn't trust Kamoshida-sensei anymore, and she would make it up to Kawakami-sensei later.

"And I helped you because I realized the situation you were in. And while I know what my reputation has become around the school, I aim to correct it. Now, tell me everything you know about the relatioship betwewn Kamoahida and Suzui-san"

Ann's guarded demeanor had softened somewhat, but befre she could respomd there was a knock on the door and sudden fear gripped her once again.

Makoto got up and walked towards the door, mouthing a 'i'll tame care of it' to Ann as she did so.   
But as she unlocked the door and cracked it open, who was on the side surprised her.

"Sakamoto-san?"

Earlier, Shujin hallway

Ryuji had pulled Ren around the corner after seeing Makoto guide Ann away from Kamoshida to the student council room.  
His voice as low and hushed as Ryuji could get it, which sadly wasn't much, he spoke in a conspirative whisper.

"Dude somethings up, Ann doesn't have any modeling programs she's applied for after high school."

Ren simply nodded, knowing just what was happening and was barely containing the pride he had in Makoto to have already taken what he said and seen the wrongness around her, and he did his best to keep his sudden fear as he saw all of her injuries and knowing just what had happened to Makoto when they parted ways yesterday.   
But he also knew just what needed to happen next.

"You should go after them then, I have a good feeling Niijima-sensei is trying to help somehow,maybe she can give you both a hand with whats going on with kamoshida"

Ren made sure to lock eyes with Ryuji with what he said next.

"Don't you want to help protect Ann too?"

There was fire in his eyes now.   
'That's the Ryuji I know'   
Ren though with no small amount of glee.

His friend shook his head, clearimg a fog from his thoughts.

"Shit dude, I don't know whats going on but, i just feel like i can't not do anything ya know? I haven't felt that in like…"

Ryuji stood up straight, walked back around the corner and turned to Ren one last time.

"Uh, sorry man i can't show you around but homeroom is just down there,and uh, tell Kawakami I'm sorry I'm gonna be late."

Ren gave him a smile and a nod before  
He watched his friend jog down the hallway.  
He let loose a sigh as he strolled towards the homeroom he knew so well.  
'Can't head to the metaverse just yet. I'm on time on my first day and somebody has got to cover for all of them afterall'

Present,student council room

Ann pulled the door open past Makoto and pulled Ryuji in by his shirt with only a brief 'whoah!' From the blond haired boy before she rounded on him.

"Ryuji what you doing here!? Did you follow us?!"

Ryuji took the time to straighten himself up before, or as straight as he was before Makoto thought, before responding.

"Easy alright! Yeah i followed you bu it's only cause I saw her-   
He jabbed a thumb in Makoto's direction-lie about something to do with modeling programs and i knew something was up!"

He turned to Makoto now with a questioning glare that softened when he took her in.  
"Jeez wjat happned to you?!"  
Makoto waved his question away with her one good hand.  
"Later. Ask your questions." 

"Ren vouched for you, said you might even be trying to help. But a lot of people know you as someone who only cares about what the teachers think, so? Which is it?"

Makoto nodded and walked over to the desk where she sat down, smoothing out her skirt and gestureing to them both to sit down. 

"Please, I'll answer all your questions as long as you answer mine." 

Ryuji and Ann shared a look that Makoto was unable to decipher but they sat down all the same, with Ann filling him as to what Makoto has just asked.

Ryuji sat down with a thump, scoffing at the mention of Kamoshida.  
He looked out the window for a moment before glancing towards Ann with eyebrows raised, she gave him an affirmative nod before she spoke.

"She helped me Ryuji, even lied for me which is crazy I know but, I think we can talk to her."

She turned her gaze to Makoto next.

"Shiho and Kamoshida, you said before that you 'realized the situation i was in' when you saw me in the hall. So does that mean you also knew about the situation with Shiho."

Ann's voice was firm amd accusatory, and Makoto could exactly see why. 

"A,friend, helped me realize the situation Suzui-san was in yesterday.   
Thought not who was causeing her harm. When I saw you in the hall, the pieces fell into place and I knew I had to act." 

Makoto eyes found the floor, unable to meet Ann's harsh gaze if only for her own shame at her lack of action and perception. 

"Please trust me when i say that had a noticed sooner, i would have taken action. I'm just so sorry that i didn't." 

Finding her voice once again she looked up and grabbed her notepad.  
"But if this is true, then that means that Kamoshida-sensei is- "

"He's nothing but a no good dirty effin' pervert!"

'Ping'

Ryuji slammed his fist into the table, shaking it and startling the two young women as he finally vented all his frustrations.

"He stuts around like he's the king of the castle!"

'Ping!'

"Like all of Shujin shuld bow to him and be his toys and I'm so effin sick of-"

'Ping!..beginning Navigation'

Suddenly a wave a vertigo swept through Makoto, who just moments before was wondering who could be texting her. As she shook her head amd looked up however she saw that maybe the vertigo had swept through the room as both blonds were clutching their heads.  
Both now looking slightly concerned.

Things were getting heated with the topic…

"Perhaps it's beat we continued this later"

Unsurprisingly Ann and Ryuji nodded beginning to get to the feet.

"We can meet up later after school, up on the roof where nobdy will bother us." 

She unlocked the door to the student council room, but what she saw on the other side wasn't the school that it was a part of.   
Lavish purple walls with gold detailing made up the hallways, hanging chandeliers with lit candles hung over red carpeted floors.  
One by one they all made their way out of the room, all equally stunned. But were even more so when they heard a shout from down the hall.

"What are you all doing here!"

Down the hall came two masked figures in full european medieval armor.

And Ryuji managed to sum up just what was going through Makoto's mind.

"What the fuck?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we're finally in the metaverse!   
> I've also started to establish what the dynamic is that Ren will have with the other phantom theives and i'm quite pleased with it. Hope you all enjoy and feel free to comment with any suggetions or just what you liked!


	7. Did you say magic?

Ren was more upset with himself than he thought possible; all this time that nagging feeling of something crucial he had forgotten and it just had to be Goro Achechi's smug punchably perfect face and all the terrible things he had done. 

What was worse was knowing that his hand in the mental shutdowns was apparently more active here in this time, while there hadn't been as many train accidents there had been a vast increase in unexplainable deaths and and psychotic breakdowns.  
Shido must either be more ambitious this go around, or had done something to gain more enemies that he needed silenced and Ren wasn't sure which was worse.

The young man shook the thoughts of his nemesis from his mind, returning instead to the simplicity of going about his school day, knowing that if everything was going as it should Ann, Ryuji and Makoto would be in Kamoshida's castle right now.  
As he entered his Homeroom, he saw the students still and conversations ceased. Kawakami immedietly stood up from her desk and bustled her eay over to him, as whispers began to rew among his peers.

'There he is, he transfer student. Think he really has a knife on him?'

'I heard he already beat someone up this morning'

'Shush! He's looking this way!'

Thankfully it was all things Ren had heard before but it still hurt to be immedietly shunned  
'Ah, same old Shujin' he internally sighed at having to live through it all again, but what struck him as strange as he observed the room was that there was another boy sitting in where Mishima's spot was, in fact he didn't see him in the room at all. Confusion and no small amount of dear began to slowly grip Ren's mind.

Kawakami stopped before him and fixed her tired eyes on his uniform, narrowing slightly in irritation.

"Did you order them a size too small?  
Doesn't matter right now just follow me outside for a moment."

Her voice was filled with exhaustion and spoke of her late night working her other job.  
Though to her credit she still kept her posture straight and her stance was one that always brooked no argument. If only cause she didn't have the energy for it.

Once he had followed her out she shut the door, and the almost immediate increase in whispers was palpable causeing her to sigh deeply before she faced him.

"We haven't formally met I'm Sadayo Kawakami, and in case you hadn't guessed i'll be your homeroom teacher while you're here. And that-"

she jabbed a thumb towards the classroom.

"Is exactly why i pulled you aside to talk."

Her eyes closed in irritation as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"It seems like someone has leaked your information. There weren't many who had knowledge of that, and while was one of them I promise you i would never do something like that. But it does narrow down the suspects of it at least." 

Whatever last vapors of coffee Kawakami was running on she pulled to the surface as she steeled herself before continueing.

"Now, I know that this will only make this more difficult for you and I may not be able to do much to help you through it but I need you to not try and brush it off as best you can alright? You can't afford to make a mistake and slip up now." 

Ren nodded and gave her an understanding look.

"Don't worry Kawakami-sensei, I'm used to people talking behind my back from my old town so this won't be any different. Oh and the student council president asked me to deliver a message to you."

Kawakami stared at him wide eyed for a moment before she managed to muster a small smile.

"Wow. First day and the Student council is already relying on you, maybe you won't be as bad off as I thought. Well go one what's she got to tell me."

"She's pulled Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-san aside for a special tutoring session and that they'll be a bit late to class but not to worry."

Kawakami gave let loose a sigh she didn't fully realize she was holding.

"Ah, well thats a weight off my mind. Takamaki-sam almost always makes an effort to get here early and does her beat to ensure Sakamoto-kun does so as well. Well it's at least good to know the council president is taking an interest in their grades.  
Now is there anything else i cam clear up for you before i introduce you to the class?"

"Actually yes, I was told an old friend was in this class with me, Mishima Yuuki?"

Kawakami seemed paused for a moment as if it hadn't occured to her that he had friends.

"Ah him, no i'm sorry he and grandmother moved out to be closer to their family. Last I heard actually he was doing well in making student films at his new school if thats anything to you."

'Oh thank god things didn't get so much worse'  
Ren said a silent prayer to whatever god it was that specifically hated Yaldabaoth that his old friend was okay at the very least, but managed to put on a soft smile and give a brief nod.

"It does. Good to know he's doing well. I'm assuming I should keep my introduction simple?"

Kawakami smiled back at him already rolling with he punches. 

"Yes. More for your own sake than anything else, I don't want the students to have any more um, ammunition if you will."

Ren followed her back into the classroom and the sudden silence as the door opened was deafening. 

"Class this is our new transfer student that'll be joining us for the upcoming year. He has a few words to introduce himself to you all."

Ren gave a slight bow and did his best to look as aloof as possible.

"Hello, I'm Ren Amamiya. Looking forward to all the rumors you'll say about me."

Kawakami did her very best to keep the from burying her face in her hands and the strain from her voice as she directed him to his seat; thankfully the one in the very back.

'Oh thank god something else good in this timeline'

Ren thought with genuine relief.

'Won't have to frantically hide all my lockpick making this time around.'

As soon as he sat down the rumor mill of Shujin started up again but was slowed down as Kawakami began her lesson, possibly a bit louder than usual.

'Well, he doesn't look like a violent criminal but did you hear what he said? Like he's daring us?'

'It's always the quiet ones.'

'I swear the dudes got some crazy eyes…'

With a heavy sigh and a slow forming smile, Ren settled in comfortably; content that he recalled much of this first lesson after his many study sessions with Makoto.  
As he thought about it though he realized just how much was different this go around,and how even with his prior knowledge it didn't mean he could slack anywhere.  
After all with Mishima not at shujin the Phan-site would be…  
A sudden shocking realization made his eyes go wide and sit up straight at his desk.

'If Mishima isn't at Shujin, then he isn't getting abused by Kamoshida, which while wonderful, means he may not be as enamored with the Phantom thieves nor think the thieves themselves were his fellow peers. Which meant…'

Ren held his head in his hands, memories of all the complex tech lessons Futaba had given him while he was trying to get her to feel more comfortable rushing through his mind. Hopeing against hope that he was listening when she talked about cyber security.

'Oh god I have to make the Phan-site."

Kamoshida's palace, prison cells

"There has to be some way out of here!"

Makoto awoke to the sound of Ryuji yelling and banging against something metal, as well as a sharp blooming heat of pain in her injured shoulder.  
Whatever she was laying on was almost as uncomfortable, and sitting up to see her new surroundings certainly didn't help.

The last she recalled they had opened the door to the student council room, and had stepped out into a lavishly decorated stonework hallway that defied explanation and were then quickly charged by two knights in full armor.  
Now she saw her and sakamoto-san were locked an ancient prison, complete with sets of chains on the walls where she could envison herself dangling helplessly.

Intent on shaking such a defeatist thought from her mind she set about trying to find a way out of here.

"Sakamoto-san, please stop that banging it's not helping in the slightest."

Makoto rose to her feet and stumbled forward, feeling something in her ribs pop and cause her to gasp as her breath suddenly left her.  
Before she could meet the ground however Ryuji had rushed over intent to catch her, but more stumbled into her himself as they both barely avoided colliding with the wooden cot where she layed before.

"Whoa, geez Miss.Prez! I, ah crap sorry. But you really shouldn't get up so fast!"

Grabbing his arm to hoist herself up her legs found their strength but she found her voice as she gasped out her next words.

"We both need to get out of here, banging on the cell doors won't get us anywhere Sakamoto-san. Let's look for any structural weakness in the walls." 

Ryuji gave a brief nod as he looked her over, seeing the way she carried herself while already in such pain seemed to give him confidence.

"Right. I'm pretty strong so if there's any rock that needs shoving I'm your guy! And you should still sit! You came into all of this already hurt after all."

Nodding as she made her way back to the cot, she grimaced at all the dark rust colored stains on the wood that spoke of only one thing, but it was either sit here or on the cold stone.  
Easing herself down she realized what stood out to her as most wrong in this situation. Well, besides everything that is.

"Sakamoto-san where is-"

"Look I think at this point, you can call me Ryuji. Seeing as where in jail together and all.

"Well then Ryuji, where's Ann? Last thing I can recall is being charged by a shield and then waking up here."

As she spoke she could see his face fall, in what she could only surmise as grief and her heart lept into her throat.

"I, I don't know. You got bashed by one of those metal bastards and the other one pinned me to the floor, then I saw a guy in gold armor come from the other end of the hall and grab Ann. He said "what are you doing out of your room?" She tried to get away but then he just said somethin and she went right to sleep; Which is just like, all kinds of crazy on top of everything right?." 

Ryuji was barely holding himself together and it was bad if even Makoto could see it. But before she could even think of any words of encouragement or think. How to get out of here, they both turned at the sound of clanking metal and the creak of the cell door opening.

Suddenly two armored knights pushed into into the room , behind them was a dark haired man with bright golden eyes, his shoulders draped in a white lined red velvet cloak with stitching's of pink hearts throughout, and to complete the ensemble. He stood bare chested and legged, save only for a bright pink speedo leaving very little to the imagination, and a comically small golden crown atop his head.  
Both students recognized him immediately, and it spurred the confusion in the room to newfound heights.

"K-kamoshida?! The hells going on here man?!" 

Ryuji staggered backwards and onto his knees as one of the armored knights turned their spear around and jammed it's haft up into his ribs.  
Still reeling and sputtering from the blow Kamoshida approached him, his blank expression twisting into a mask of rage as he brought his knee up into Ryuji's face.  
"Now now Sakamoto, is that truly how you would speak to your king!"  
Kamoshida, or whatever this being was 

An instinct unknown to Makoto took over as she rushed over to stop this, not even knowing what it is she would do to even do so.  
'If this was really Kamoshida then this doesn't make any sense!'

Her sudden rushing in was stopped however as two knights both grabbed her shoulders and slammed her back intot the brick wall, the long blades of their spears crossing at her throat to prevent her from moving.

This beast that was Kamoshida placed his foot upon Ryuji's back, slamming him back down into the stonework and pinning him to the floor.

"I thought you had finally learned your Sakamoto, had finally grown content underneath my heel. And now i find that you've not only freed one prisoner but have attempted to make off with queen for your own!"

A sadistic grin spread across Kamoahida's features, reveling in the pain he caused, he lifted his heel to slam into the back of Ryuji's head, but halted as he heard Makoto cry out.

"That's enough! You can't do this!"

One of the knights pulled back a fist to silence her but his hand was stayed as Kamoshida rose his own, Looking to her with a look of calm disappointment and shaking his head as he approached her.

"Tsk tsk Niijima, and thought I your rehabilitation in your cell was coming along so nicely, but to think you would disobey your king once again after allowing that filthy transfer student into my castle! Well I'll make sure your punishment is nice and slow, and I promise I'll promise every moment. Maybe, if you're lucky I'll allow you too as well" 

He looked at with one thing on his mind and gave a hollow self satisfied laugh.  
Feeling his gaze on her made her akin crawl, in disgust she tried to look away but the felt the spear tips inch closer to her neck and she was forced to meet his sickly golden eyes. 

"You'll soon learn your place, but first-"

He reached a hand out to one of the knights and pulled free the sword at it's hip.

"- I have to demonstrate what happens to witless worms who dare defy their king!"

Ryuji had managed to stagger to his feet, arm propping him up against the wall.

As Kamoshida approached he threw out a desperate punch that Kamoshida dodged and then responded with a vicious backhand that sent the young man sprawling to the floor.  
Kamoshida stood over him, his grip on the sword growing tighter.

"Pathetic as always Sakamoto, that last punch you gave me been a good hit. Shame that even at the end you prove that you're nothing but a-"

Ryuji spit, with impressive accuracy, a wad a phlegm and blood into Kamoshidas face. A scowl of hatred and defiance on his face that dwarfed kamoshidas in that moment. 

"..I see."

Kamoshida raised the sword, Makoto yelled for him to cease this absolute madness….and the world froze in haunting grayscale.

Just outside her frame of vision a figure stepped out, and was somehow not surprised to see it was her with the same golden eyes as Kamoshida.

The reflection of herself looked placidly at the scene of Ryuji on the flood before her, then turned to meet her other halfs eyes.

'Other half? How do I?'  
Not allowed to finish her thought Makoto's shadow, for her heart knew it as such, spoke to her.

"Death awaits him if you do nothing, are you simply going to watch?"

Her shadow stepped towards her, gaze unflinching.

"Where is your justice?"

Makoto grit her teeth, feeling her frozen body begin to slowly respond to her in this moment of fury at what she saw before her.

"…If it's not here, then I'll make it!"

The shadow before her grinned, wide and vicious.

"Then are you finally ready to tread the path of strife?"

Her hands clenched into fists so tightly she could feel the heat of blood erupt from her palm as the nails cut into the skin, but Makoto felt no pain in that moment; only a white hot flare of fury. And she finally found her own voice.

"Yes, come to me!"

With that single utterance her shadow vanished before her, the worlds color and speed slowly beginning to return as a gentle all encompasing voice echoed through her mind.

"Very well. Then we shall proceed with the contract at once.  
For you have finally found your own justice, please now never lose sight of it again. For I am thou…"

Pain ripped through her body and she let loose an agonized scream as time resumed. Her fist slammed into the wall and she drank in the joy at feeling it shatter neath her fist.

Kamoshida turned to her, confusion quickly turning to fear.

"…and thou art I." 

With echo of those final words fading in her mind a wave a heat and wind blasted out from Makoto, sending the knights that pinned her to the wall crashing upon the stone.

There was a weight, heavy and and known to her upon her face.  
Reaching up the felt a mask of cold iron and rivets, and with a single glorious yell she pulled it from her very being.

A pillar of white hot light erupted from her sending the already stunned Kamoshida flying against the wall.

Ryuji rose up, grasping the keys that had fallen from the knights belt; as he stood he bore witness to Makoto stepping forth from the dissipating pillar of light, and saw her wreathed in crackling blue energy. She stood resolute, garbed in grey leathers with a flowing black scarf, her shoulders affixed with spikes to match the ones on her fists, and straddling a glowing blue motorcycle. 

"G-g-guards!! Guards aid your king!"

Kamoshida cowered where he had fallen, but the two guards bodies that were in the room suddenly became puddles of black ooze, morphing into that of a cackling cloaked Jack-o-lantern and a raving red eyes green horse that seemed to float in the air in place of it's legs.

The voice that had once been an echo in Makoto's kind now rung true and filled her with a sense of belonging.

"I am the seat of justice, Johanna!"

Makoto grinned and revved Johanna's engine, a luscious sound that filled her with vigor.

"Then I'll go full speed, non stop!  
Frei!"

She spun her cycles back wheel through the air, slamming into the charging mad horse with a burst of that white light that caused it to vanish in a puff of black smoke.

Twisting with the momentum of the spin, she leapt from her seat, dodging a ball of fire from the monster as she did so.

The speed and strength of her leap had put her right above the Jack-o-lantern, where she brought down of a rain of her fists upon it's cloaked form.  
With a final sundering from her elbow it too vanished into black smoke.  
As she steadied herself she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion strike her and in that faltering moment Kamoshida saw his moment.

He left from where he layed, hands outstretched to grasp her by the throat, and he may well have were it not for Ryuji slamming into him fr the side with a full bodied charge.

"Come on!"

He shouted to Makoto, waving the keys and rushing for the door.

She sprinted forward, pushing away the fatigue as she dashed through the entrance just after Ryuji and slammed the cell door shut behind her.  
Already on it the blond boy plunged the key into the lock, sealing it just moments before the recovered Kamoshida crashed into the bars.

With a feral snarl he grasped for them, the pair already reeling back as he shouted.

"You loathesome brats! You can't run, this is my castle you hear me! Mi-"

He was cut off and sent backward clutching his nose as Makoto gave a quick jab at him through the bars. 

Ryuji looked at her dumbfounded for a moment before she turned to him with panic.

"Run!" 

A simple word and that spurred him into action, and with no time to consider all that was happening they sprinted as fast as they could to find some semblence of safety.

Later, Annals of Kamoshidas prison

Makoto leaned against the wall, Ryuji was in the process of of helping her arm back into the sling while; both of them listening out for any patrols of knights. 

She couldn't explain why but she was back in her school uniform, the biker outfit sometimes flickering to life in a burst of blue flame but hadn't for a while as they crept through thw halls.  
With her arm properly in it's sling, the constant ache of it was finally abated, but the sprinting had only exacerbated her many bruised ribs that made her wince with every breath.  
Ryuji on the other hand had his mind on other matters.

"You were so cool! The way you sailed through the air and beat the crap out of the flaming pumpkin, and how your bike just exploded that weird horse!!  
What even was that bike anyway? Is it like a summon in a video game? Can you -"

As they kept low, walking past the many cells Makoto finally had to turn to her companion, every bit of the Niijima glare coming through and trying desperately to keep her voice low.

"Ryuji! We have to be quiet! If we get caught again then-"

"Sounds like one of you awoke a Persona, and a powerful one at that!"

Both of the teens pressed themselves against the cell bars, feeling a sudden panic at the voice.

"Uhh, you know I'm right behind you right? In here, the cell."

Started Makoto jumped back, then felt another pop of her ribs and she groaned in pain.

"Oh shit! I, um..uh you alright?"

Ryuji rushed over to help, but found he didn't really have he could do.

Both looked to the dark cell as they heard the voice again, young and soft but with an aire of confidence.  
It shocked both of them when the small figure in the shadows walked into the light.

" A cat?!" 

Both of them said in unison, earning a glare from the masked head of this upright cat.

"I'm not a cat! It's a long story but one I can tell you if you get me out of here!

"no way dude! We just got done being chased by monsters we ain't letting another one out!"

The cat but not a cat glare intensified on the blond boy.

"Not a monster either! Look you two clearly need some things explained, and to get out of here. Luckily for you I know an escape route and I can guide you to it once i'm out of here."

Still clutching her side with her one good arm she approached the bars and kneeled down to meet this strange beings eye.

"One of our friends was taken, she's not in these cells and we need to find her before we leave."

Ryuji picked up on what Makoto was getting to and chimed in.

"If we let you out you help us find her too, and then we all escape, deal?"

Instantly the cats (not a cat) demeanor changed, recoiling in horror at what they said.

"You mean….there's a damsel in distress?! What kind of gentleman would I be if I left a damsel to their fate. Yes you have my word!"

Ryuji looked to Makoto who nodded, stepping up to the cell door he unlocked it with a heavy clunk. 

"Listen man, thanks for agreeing to help us and all but when we save Ann don't go calling her 'damsel' she reallly won't like that.  
Trust me." 

Stepping through the open cell door Morgana stretched and enjoyed the nonexistent difference to the air of freedom.

"Ahh, thanks you two! Now introductions are in order"

With an exaggerated bow and a twirl into a one paw on their chin, displaying their proud smirk the thief made himself known.

"I am Morgana, gentleman and thief at your service." 

"Sweet. I'm Ryuji, and this badass is Makoto." 

Makoto gave her, friend she feel lime she could call him after everything a mock glare that was perhaps too real.

"I don't recall saying you could use my first name."

Immediately the boy paled and she had realized she had put a little too much effort into that.

"R-right Niijima-senpai!"

"Sorry, just a joke. Really it's alright, after all we just went through I'd say that's more than fine.

Ryuji seemed calmed by that thankfully, at least she hoped he was. Before she could think on it further Morgana had walked into her frame of vision, looking her over with a curious glance.

"Hmm, speaking of you look real rough. No offense my lady, just stand still and i'll heal you right up!"

'Heal? What was he-'

"Zorro! Dia!"

With a flash of light and whipping of wind a large man, clad in detailed leathers with a pointed mustache and mask much like Morganas materialized behind him and a wave of relief washed over Makoto who felt the ache in her ribs and arms suddenly vanish.

Ryuji staggered back as Makoto pulled her arm free of the sling, her hand reaching up to touch the wound on her cheek, and found that underneath the bandage and butterfly strips it too had healed.

"Wha..how in the…what was-"

Morgana gave a low chuckle as they turned to Ryuji.

"That, was the power of persona! His name is Zorro and is unmatched when it comes to healing or wind magic!"

Makoto's eyes widened as she took it all in, sharing an equally bewildered look with Ryuji.

"Sorry, did you say magic?"

Morgana shook his head as he began to walk down further down the hall.

"Come on, I'll explain everything i can as we search for your friend, after all a damsel, er I mean, a lady awaits our rescue!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots happened this chapter, set up Rens task for the future, introduxed morgana and had Makotos awakening!  
> For those wondering why i've written out Mishima...it's cause i couldn't for the life of me figure out what to do with him that wasn't just a repeat of his arc. so i gave him a happy ending here he got away from Kamoshida and is following his dream.


	8. Heart of rebellion

Ann was panicked, terrified and absolutely bloody furious.  
The last thing she recalled was being grabbed by some weird guy in armor who said some weird word and then she woke up in this weird as hell room. 

As she got her bearings she saw that it was a large opulent bedroom, smelling strongly of sweat.  
The bed that dominated the room was large and circular, complete with rumpled purple silk sheets and she didn't even consider sleeping on it despite how groggy she felt.  
On each wall were a set of bright red and gold curtains and the draft coming from the ones of the right let her know there was at least a window she may be able to squeeze out of.  
She tried the large wooden doors at the front first however, intent on finding wherever Ryuji and Makoto had been taken but they of course were locked. 

With a frustrated groan she pulled her hair into a ponytail, it wasn't the first time she had stuck out through a window but it was usually had Shiho goading her to do it.  
As she pulled back the heavy curtain she was more confused than anything else.

"I don't…what!?"  
She felt herself say as she took a step back.  
She knew this place couldn't have been Shujin with it's stone walls and hanging chandeliers but, she still didn't know what to with what she saw.  
Outside there was, a sky of churning red clouds and tall stone spires with flags waving in the wind, there was a courtyard below and was surrounded on all sides by tall stone walls.  
It was a castle, there was no mistake; like one out of those history books and before she could even begin to contemplate what was going in she heard loud footsteps coming up the hall. 

Thankful for the fact that the circular window was big enough for her to get through and that there seemed to be a ledge underneath it Ann made her escape, managing to close the window after she crawled through and keep her stomach from lurching as she looked down and clung to the side of the tower. 

Almost unable to keep her heart from pounding in fear, when she heard the door unlock she did her best to steel herself to move.  
That was, until she heard an all too familiar set of voices come from inside.

"Ah! Master you're back!"

"We've been waiting so long, but I've got her all prepared for you master!"

It was…her? But she sounded so wrong and the other voice was Shiho, but low and sultry which made her already queasy stomach somersault.  
But few things could make her blood run cold as the next voice she heard.

"Girls, always so good to have your attentions. But you have some things to answer for my queen.

'K-kamoshida? What the hell is going on here!'

A resounding smack followed by a feminine cry made Ann flinch, and shuffle over to peer inside, desperate for any answer to what was going on.

Inside what she saw made her want to both wretch on the spot and break through the glass to enact violence.

Shiho stood off to one side, looking meek in a white bikini with matching bunny ears.  
What she stared at made her even more confused, on the floor was herself, clad only in a bright pink leopard print bikini.  
This horrific mirror of herself looked up at Kamoshida, clad in only a hot pink speedo and tiny golden crown, with a look of pure lust as she held a hand to her reddening cheek. 

"Mmm, master I don't know if I deserve such plea-"

"Can it!"

Kamoshida knelt down next to her, hand wrapping around her throat but not yet squeezing. 

"My guards tell me they found you with the fool Sakamoto! Tell me the truth Ann, where you trying to- "

There was sudden low thump as a gust of wind caught Ann and she was forced to fling herself back at the window to keep her footing, but when she looked back she saw Kamoshida in the same position as before, but now his narrowing eyes were trained on her.

On instinct she took a step back, but found only air. Ann didn't scream, either due to fear or fury she wasn't quite sure, but she began to feel the wind whip past her as she quickly fell to the courtyard below, hoping that what she had just seen was all part of some nightmare she would soon wake from.

Shujin academy

Ren was getting more worried by the moment; he had told Kawakami that Niijima-senpai would be finished with her lesson before lunch.  
Now lunch was here and there was still no sign of them!

Even knowing that he needed to trust his former teammates to make it through the ordeal, it still didn't stop the flashes of pain from the memories of watching them all fall one by one neath Yaldabaoths gaze.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

'But I'm not leading them now, Makoto is. Or will be. She'll keep them safe.'

With the thought that his failures didn't spread into this timeline and that he could trust in Makoto to keep them alive he felt at least some relief from the weight on his mind.

However that relief quickly faded to sadness as he realized he had been too late to snag the last katsu sandwich from the school shop.  
He was resigned to simply grab a bread roll for lunch and be done with it, until he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Did you need a lunch?"

He turned and saw Shiho Suzui passing by in the hall, brown lunch bag in her hand, her head cocked his way awaiting an answer.

"Oh! I uh, yes. But I'll be good with just the roll!"

She have him a kind smile and shook her head, reaching into the bag to pull out a spare sandwich and offered it out to him.

"I got an extra for my friend Ann but I haven't seen her today"

Shiho frowned, a crease of worry on her brow as she looked away for a moment.

As Ren approached he took the offered meal with a grin and made sure to cover for the future phantom thief once more.

"Thank you so much Suzui-san, and Ann is just doing a study session with Ryuji and Niijima-senpai. No idea when they'll be finished though.  
I haven't known them long but it seems like Ryuji could at least use some better study habits heh."

"Oh you've met them already? That's wonderful, I'm sure Ann was a pretty overpowering presence wasn't she? She could always be a bit aggressively personable.."

"It was only welcome, both of them did their best to make sure I understood that they didn't believe the rumors and I was really quite touched by it. Ryuji even showed me shortcut to school, so sweet isn't it."

Ren wiped away a mock tear and held his hand over heart, earning a soft giggle from Shiho as they moved down the hall.

Without even realizing it they had begun to walk with each other, and Ren knew exactly why. 

'Still not sure how to feel about this ability you granted me Satanael, but if it helps me help them even a little more then I won't avoid it.'

They sat down next to each other in the courtyard, And Ren didn't miss the way she winced and held her side as she did so. He pushed the thought away in favor of eating his lunch same as Shiho.

About halfway through the meal he turned to her with a question in mind.

"So how did you and Ann meet anyhow?"

Shiho giggled, finishing her bite before speaking.

"Well, we had known each other distantly for a while before we really talked, she was always coming into the underground to shop at my fathers store, but the first conversation we really had was me telling her her painting sucked."

"Ah, the mark of true friendship then." 

"Hehe, yep! Made her laugh way harder than I thought, and then the rest is history. She was always getting bullied for her looks and parentage, something in me just knew she needed some honesty rather that just some platitudes."

Shiho paused in her meal, looking distant for a moment before turning back to him with sharp eyes.

"I, I would so anything to keep Ann safe. She deserves so much more than what most people say about her."

Just as quick as the look appeared it faded, and Shiho suddenly looked quite sheepish.

"Oh, um. Sorry about getting so serious there."

Quickly she took a large bite of her sandwich, looking away from him.

Ren gave a soft laugh shrugged

"Nothing to be sorry for. I know how it feels to be protective of those you care deeply for. I'm sure Ann feels the same way."

Shiho still looked into the distance, chewing her immense bite, but Ren still managed to catch the slight blush in her cheeks.

They finished their meals together in relative silence. At the end of lunch Shiho checked her phone with excitement, that quickly faded into a tight frown.  
She got up with a slump, explaining that she had to go. 

"It, it was nice talking to you Amamiya-san, don't let the rumors get to you okay?"

And with that she made her exit, leaving Ren to devise a plan on how to prevent Kamoshida's future actions.  
He recalled how when Kamoshida confessed, a large segment on the news was of how much evidence was in his apartment.  
If he could get his hands on it, maybe some anonymous blackmail would be enough to make him afraid until the Phantom Thieves change of heart.  
And while he currently didn't have the means to do so, Uncle Iwai might.  
Ren gave a heavy sigh, realizing how many flips he would have to do to hide his actions from him, perhaps it was best to be completely honest for once.

Before he could think any further however, he turned to see he diminutive form of Kawakami, arms folded and wearing an accusatory look.

"Ah! My apologies sensei you startled me."

Kawakami drummed her fingers on her arm, stare never wavering.

"Mmhm, Mr. Amamiya I just paid a visit to the Library and I didn't see either Takamaki, Sakamoto or Niijima-san. Care to tell me where they might be?"

'Damn this woman and always being able to make him feel in the wrong, even back when she was in a maid outfit she could pull it off'

"Oh? They must be in the Student Council room then."

"I thought that as well but I just talked with a member of the student council and she said that they had just used the room and that they were the only ones there."

Panic began to set in him Ren's mind, but he wouldn't dare let it slip now.

"Oh? Well maybe they stepped out for a long lunch, or perhaps they-"

Kawakami put up her hand to stop him, her glare shifting to one that asked only for direct answers.

"Amamiya-san, I've also been told that you were seen with Sakamoto-kun this morning, and I could believe that you might cover for a new friend that wanted to skip. But what I don't understand is why I also can't find Miss. Takamaki or Miss. Niijima, since I can't buy that the student council president of all people would skip school I'm here seeking answers okay?"

Ren let loose a breath he didn't realize he was holding, recalling all the times before he had lied and obscured the truth, and how many times it barely worked out in the longeron for him. Ren looked at Kawakami, asking for honesty, and decided just who he could trust.  
He made a show of looking around the courtyard, both to be sure nobody was watching and to make Kawakami feel what he was saying was the whole truth.

"Niijima-senpai is looking into allegations of abuse in the student body, from members in the faculty."

Kawakami's eyes widened, mouth stammering as she spoke.

"T-those are so serious allegations but what does that have to-"

"The study session is real, she told me she's honestly concerned about their grades, but that she also wants to see if they know anything about it. Or are being affected by it directly."

Kawakami chewed her lower lip in thought, nodding along as he spoke.

"As for where they are, I really thought they would be in the Student council room right now."

His teacher stared at him for a moment longer before nodding.

"Come see me once your classes are finished Amamiya-san, we'll go to the student council room and wait there for them if they haven't come back before then. And know that if there is any untruth in your story there will be serious consequences.

As Kawakami walked away Ren rubbed the back of his neck, silently praying that they would be back, safe and unharmed, as soon as possible.

Makoto was exhausted; the shadows, as Morgana had called them, had all been quickly dispatched up to this point by the dual power of Johanna and Zorro. He had shown them the means of escape from the castle he offered them first, his first rule as a thief being to always know your escape route before hands.

They had done their best to sneak along, listening to Morgana explain where they were and what was going on to the best of his abilities. Amongst his many explanations of shadows and palaces was also the fact that, as it was all a reflection of his hearts desires, certain actions done to Kamoshida here could change aspects of his personality; such actions that could even force him to admit all his crimes if done correctly or end up killing him if done otherwise.

At the time she had wanted nothing more than to press him for further answers on the subject but a flickering of her power and a wave of exhaustion prevented such things. It was then that he explained their need for stealth wasn't just to avoid unnecessary conflict, but was due to the awakening of a Persona being extremely taxing on the mind and body, something her fading energy was making ever more apparent as they continued.  
She chalked up her survival up to this point on pure adrenaline but knew that it wouldn't last. 

They snuck their way to the courtyard, which thankfully only had one shadow patrolling it. But Morgana had warned them not to be seen as it had a menacing aura.

"Up there is the kings quarters, if this Lady Ann is as pretty as you say then that's where he'll have taken her."  
He scanned the area, pointing out the left side which had some cover for them to hide and also lead to a window where they could make their way up.  
The cat gave Makoto an apologetic look before he continued.

"Maybe it'll be best if I scout ahead first? Your last attempt at hiding was pretty laughable, no offense."

She groaned and held her head in her hands when she heard Ryuji behind her snicker; even a loudmouth like him had had lighter steps, and recalling how she panicked and grabbed a book to cover her face when the shadow turned around due to heavy footfalls made her face heat up in embarrassment before she turned back to their helpful guide. 

"I think, that would be for the best, we can watch his pattern from here and-" 

She was cut off as Ryuji tapped her shoulder with urgency, pointing up to the top of the tower and speaking in as low a voice as he could muster.

"Guys! I think that's her!"

Sure enough, she followed his hand and could just make out a bright white hoodie next to the window at the top. Relief swelled in her chest knowing that they were so close to saving Takamaki-san from this nightmare as well.

"We need to get over there fast, see if we can find a way to guide her over to us.

Sneaking over to where they could signal her was the easy part, what with the crates and the surprisingly predictable patrol of the guard, and once she got closer she understood why Morgana got a bad feeling from them, there seemed to be an oppressive force surrounding them that made it clear they would be outmatched, even at full strength. 

The hard part was finding a way to signal her, but Morgana was confidant they could scale the protruding brick of the tower to get to her, but when they all saw her take a step back and begin to fall without a sound a sudden panic gripped of her.

'What do I, think! Think!'

Morgana raced where he had been scouting, shouting that he could catch her but they needed to distract the guard, who was now alerted due to his cries. 

Before she could even summon the will of Johanna however, Ryuji surprised her by being the first to act as he hurled a rock that bounced off the guards armor.

"Hey asshole! This way!" 

He gave Makoto a look that seemed to say a lot more than just confidence as e dashed to the other side, the guards attention now drawn to him as it began to dissolve into a black puddle and burst forth from it a horned knight clad in red armor atop of red eyed warhorse. It hefted an immense pike in one hand and readied to throw it, and Makoto knew it was now or never.

"Johanna! Frei!"

Beneath her the blue Motorcycle materialized and she revved his engine as a bead of white energy flew out towards the knight, barely damaging it but succeeding in knocking it's throw off balance as the spear sailed off the castle walls.

As it turned to face her she could hear Ryuji cheer at it's apparent disarment.

"Go Miss Prez! That's what's up!"

The steed snorted and readied itself for a charge, as in it's riders hands the spear materialized once more.

Ryuji's arms held up in victory fell to his sides.

"Aw man, for real?"

As the rider charged Makoto sped forward at it pivoting at the last second and pressing herself low to Johanna as she went near horizontal to avoid the spear and let loose another nuclear blast.

"Frei!"

Johanna's wheels spun letting loose the white fire within, but again the rider was met with minimal damage.  
Makoto wheeled the cycle around to attack again, but was suddenly met with the haft of the spear that pulled her body from her bike. 

The gave a laugh, deep and hollow in the armor as it raised the spear once more, but she saw his head twitch to the side and hurl it at Ryuji who was running to her aid. 

He stopped dead in his tracks, unable to dodge the spears flight, but never regretting the call of his instinct to run in and help.  
He closed his eyes and braced for pain.

Makoto threw her hand out to him futilely, knowing there was little she could do but shout his name, and just as she had begun to feel the sting of failure, a great howl of wind ripped the spear from it's flight.

Morgana landed in front of them, Ann next to him with hair frizzled and eyes wide.  
He reached into a pouch at his side and hurled a small ball at the ground with a shout of "Shows over!". Instantly the courtyard filled with thick white smoke, Makoto could no longer tell where anybody was, but neither could the shadow.

As she pressed herself low and began to crawl, hoping that she was at least heading towards the entrance they came from, she felt a small but surprisingly strong paw grasp her wrist and guide her in the right direction away from the monstrous shadow who was currently flailing wildly amidst the white smoke.

When the smoke cleared she could see everyone was now at the end of the long staircase they had traversed up to the courtyard. Takamaki-san was still dazed with her hands clasped with Ryuji, the young man looking more and more worried as the moments of silence ticked by .  
As Morgana opened the door and scouted ahead Makoto grew fearful too that the young model was hit by some sort of mental attack that caused her to fall; that was until she looked her, eyes traveling her up and down then one eyebrow cocked as a small smile spread across her face.

"Miss. Prez? Why are you…you look so cool! Okay you guys seem to know more about what's going on her than me, especially that cute monster cat, but that has got to be the first thing you explain!"

Ryuji even felt the need to chime in, wearing an excitable grin as he gave a reserved fist bump.

"I know right! Ren was totally right Makoto is a complete badass! So there are these things called personas right? And her's is this absolutely bitchin motorcycle that's all blue and has a face and -"

Feeling the blush rise in her cheeks she was about to respond when Morgana poked his head around the door, ushering them forward.  
She gave a brisk nod then turned back to the two blonds.

"We'll explain everything as best we can, after we get out of here. Right Ryuji?"

As the young man gave a sheepish nod, Takamaki-san was the first one to rise up after Morgana, an expression she couldn't recognize as she made her way to the door.

"Right, I wanna get away from here as fast as possible. Then I'll get answers! Come on you two!" 

The two other teens shared a surprised look and then a mutual shrug as they made their way after the girl they came to rescue and their peculiar guide.

The guards of the castle were on complete alert, searching everywhere for them which made it all the more difficult for them to sneak by.  
She reflected on Morgana's first piece of advice as a thief, and was thankful for his foresight to secure the escape route beforehand.

However the long trek and careful sneaking gave them ample time to fill Takamaki-san about the situation they found themselves in.  
Makoto could feel the fury radiating off her like a furnace when they explained the nature of what a palace was, and why things appeared as they did to this shadow version of Kamoshida. 

When Ryuji asked her about how she fell, she said she something that spooked her but didn't elaborate further.  
When they opened the door to the room with their exit vent, the unspoken sigh from everyone was heavily felt.

Ryuji climbed up on the shelf to pry the grate off, giving Makoto time to check on the other blond.  
But when she turned she saw Morgana on one knee before Takamaki-san with a bouquet of flowers that she honestly didn't know when or where he had acquired them.

"Oh Lady Ann, your beauty even in the face of catastrophe is radiance at it's finest! But not nearly as beautiful as the time I first laid eyes on you so long ago."

The young woman looked confused for a moment before responding.

"Um, thanks but, wasn't the first time you saw me like 10 minutes ago? and it's not like I look any better since then..."

"That's beside the point!"

Morgana rose to his feet now, tail swishing slowly behind him as he pushed the flowers towards her.

"Please accept these flowers as an extension of my love and affections for you! And a promise to always be there when you fall."

While the creaking of metal and a cry of an curse that Makoto didn't even recognize Ryuji fell backward off the shelf, bent metal grate in hand as he landed on Morgana with a flurry of red rose petals scattering into the air.  
The blond boy looked up at the two girls with a proud grin and a thumbs up.

"Heh, got it off like nothing, we're homefree from here, whoa sorry man!"

He got up and shook himself off, Morgana rising up soon after and looking dejectedly at his bouquet before whirling on Ryuji with a furious glare.

"You big dumb monkey! You ruined my moment of declaration!"

"Sheesh sorry man, the grate just took more effort than I thought. What kind of 'moment' could you have been havin anyway. And what's with all these peta, hey! Ow!"

Morgana still enraged smacked him on the head with the ruined bouquet before leaping on top of the shelf with a huff.

"Come on! I still have something I have to look for here so you three newbies better get a move on!"

One by one they all crawled up the shelf and out the vent, to the relative safety of the castles entrance.

Ann was the second to last to go, stopping to give Morgana an apologetic look.

"Hey, thanks for saving me by the way. Hope we see you again!"

She reached out and scratched behind his left ear before she left, causing him to blush heavily as he followed after her with a soft muttering of "oh Lady Ann"

Once outside Morgana gave them instructions to run out to the horizon and then they'll wind up wherever they were that they left before.

Makoto gave a swift nod, bowing slightly to him.

"Thank you Morgana, for saving us ad teaching us about this place."

As she rose she looked at him with as much fire in eyes as she could muster.

"I hope you find what you're looking for, and if you can come find me at Shujin Academy tomorrow, please do.  
Now that i know about this place, i feel I can't leave it alone." 

Morgana gave her a look of surprise before he wore a cocky smile once more, one paw going up to his chin.

"Well, if you're gonna infiltrate this place with me again the we'll need to work on your stealth, and if I can't find what i'm looking for them i'll need your help, deal?"

One paw extended out to her, and she reached hers out as well with a determined smile.

"Deal"

A sensation overtook Makoto, the world seeming to still as a gentle voice filled her mind.

"I am thou... Thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a new vow...  
It shall become the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.  
With the birth of the Magician Persona  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that  
shall lead to freedom and new power.

Then Just as quickly the world resumed and Makoto felt a bead of warmth within her heart.

"Then you guys gotta get going! Who knows how long you've been in here for! Until we meet again!"

He gave an exaggerated bow and backflipped up to the grate before vanishing into it with nary a sound.

Makoto forced herself to sit for moment, feeling a pounding headache coming on when realized that along with her, two other students went missing in Shujin for god kows how long.

When she felt a gentle hand rub on her back she was surprised to see Takamaki-san sitting next to her with a soft mile and a worried looking Ryuji near by.

"You alright Miss.prez? I wasn't there for it but Ryuji and Morgana said you were fighting like a machine in there!"

"Yeah you pretty much pulled out asses out of the fire at every turn!  
Morgana may have a good for info but his Zorro could barely do anything to most of the shadows while you were bustin all kinds of moves!"

Ryuji leaned over and offered her his hand in getting up.

"Come on, you saved my life in there so we ain't leavin less it's all together."

Makoto looked at both of them in wonderment, doing her best to stifle her normal reaction of shrinking when she heard compliments of such magnitude.  
She took his arm and rose up on shaky legs, With Takamaki-san taking her other arm to keep her steady.

"Thank you Ryuji, and you too Takamaki-san, I only wish we hadn't been separated then maybe we could-" 

The blond young woman cut her off with a loud laugh and shook her head before looking her way.

"You guys saved me! And from where i was when Morgana caught me with his wind or whatever I saw you fight that weird shadow thing just to keep us safe! So i'd say you can go ahead and call me Ann now Miss.Prez"

As all three walked over the drawbridge into the hazy horizon Makoto gave Her new friend a smile in return.

"Well, I'm just glad we got there in time, Ann. And you can go ahead and call me Makoto too, if you'd like."

With a heavy yawn and cracking of bones Ryuji stretched his back and made himself well known.

"Maaan, after all of this I'll be glad to be back at Shujin and I never thought I'd say that, but how are we gonna explain where we went?"

Makoto was pondering for a moment, and was about to respond when she felt a sudden darkening of her vison and that inexplicable sense of vertigo, and when she opened them she was once again sitting at the table in the student council room. She had left this room in the midst of what many would call an interrogation, and returned to it with a confirmed criminal to investigate, and two new friends. Something that still was a shock to her, almost as much as when she looked at the clock and saw that they missed the entire school day!

"Navigation complete, welcome back."

"We're back right? I mean, everything looks the same but, there was so much over that.."

As Ann spoke she could just barely make out the waiver in her voice, something Ryuji must have picked on as well when he reached over and pulled her into a hug. 

Makoto was looking at her phone, seeing that strange red eye app flashing. Eyes going wide in realization, she recalled the dream she had on the train.  
'That must've been how we got there, but how exactly…'  
Pushing aside her thoughts she focused on the moment.

"I'll, open the door and check but i think we're back where we should be." 

As Makoto rose from her seat to open the door, she missed the whispered exchange between the two other teens.

"You need to talk about something?"  
Ryuji's faint words faded into the mess of blond hair as Ann clung to him, the slight nod he felt against his chest gave him his answer, and he felt a rekindling of hatred and an urge for action against Kamoshida that had been long since been snuffed out. 

Makoto fumbled in her bag to find her keys to the room, feeling a deep hunger set in that she had apparently ignored while in the palace.

As she finally grasped them though she felt herself jump when she heard the doors lock click open and pull back to reveal a surprised Miss. Kawakami, and behind her was Ren Amamiya who wore a similar expression, but that faded into something else she couldn't quite piece together as he looked over all three of them.

Miss. Kawakami gave a small chuckle and and put her keys away before addressing the room.

"Well, seems like Mr. Amamiya wasn't just trying to cover for you Sakamoto and you really were here studying with Miss. Niijima. And you too Miss. Takamaki! So glad to see you taking an extra effort in your studies." 

She turned her smile to Makoto next.

"I trust I'll see an improvement in their next exam scores?"

Suddenly feeling flushed she unconsciously looked to Ren who gave an emphatic nod and mouthed the words "just go with it" at her.

"Oh! Um, yes! Of course, I'm sorry to take them out of their classes today but they simply needed a firm reeducation of their studying habits. Yes, that's All."

Had she looked over to the two teens in question, she would have seen Ryuji shooting a death glare at Ren while Ann mouthed the words "ultimate betrayal" at him, in response to which she simply replied with a large knowing smile.

Kawakami pulled Makoto off to the side of the room, whispering in hushed tones.

"Amamiya-san told me about what you were investigating, and if you have time today after school I'd very much like to know your results."

Makoto could only wring her hands together, and give her brief nod before she pulled away with a smile, turning back to address the room.

"Well I'm sure you're all quite exhausted from today, get home safe all of you! I myself have more papers to grade than I'd like so it'll just be me in the faculty office. 

She gave Makoto one a nod and a soft smile  
"Oh and I'm glad to see your arm feeling better!" And with that she made her exit.  
As Makoto wondered just where she had put her sling she was pleased to see it lying on the floor by her seat, the sudden relief allowing her t ponder for a moment; she had always felt like she could trust Kawakami but,  
'where had trust in teachers gotten her before' she thought.  
Frowning at where her thoughts had drifted to she was surprised when Ren reached into his bag and pulled out two sets of papers all stapled together that he placed in front of the two blonds.

"I made sure to take notes for you two, since I had a feeling you would miss a good bit. Though I did a lot more than I thought I would have to."

Ryuji only shook his head, eyes wide at the friend he had only made that very morning.

"Dude like, I'm super glad you covered for us and all but.."

Ann chimed in, looking at Ren with a kind but questioning gaze.

"It's really nice and all but, why would you? Not that I'm complaining heh, free notes!"

More and more Makoto was getting curious about Ren Amamiya.  
"Was it simply quick thinking on your part?"

Ren merely shrugged to the three questions.

"Ya'll were good to me this morning and I figured I would pay it forward, and I'm not one to ask questions I don't need the answer to."

He looked over to Makoto with a smirk.

"Besides, I knew you two were in good hands. Hope you both actually learned something studying under her."

'Just where did he get such a high opinion of her?' The question was driving Makoto mad as she felt all eyes land on her.  
"O-oh, well the studying was vigorous and-"

"Yeahhh dude you were right about her, she's rad. Learned a helluva lot."

She looked to Ryuji wide eyed, mouth slightly open, then Ann spoke up.

Moments before Ann was giving Ren a knowing look that he met with his own, not bothering to hide the silly grin he had.  
But as Ryuji finished she spoke up as well.

"Yup! Learned tons! Maybe Miss.Prez is way cooler than I thought. Ryuji and I gotta get going though, see you two!"

Both of them gathered their things and headed out the door, with Ryuji stopping to give Ren a casual fist bump as he left.

Ren rubbed the back of his head, before explaining why he told Kawakami about her investigation. 

"I told her this morning that you would be keeping them to study but i didn't think you guys would be gone that long. Personally I think she's trustworthy but, you've been here longer and have known her."

Makoto nodded, still floored that he had covered for all of them without even knowing what would happen, and it's wasn't like he knew they would all be transported to a plane of consciousness by a phone app.

"Yes, I meant to notify the teachers but, well I-"

Ren held up his hand with a smile, either seeing through her attempt to lie and saving her from them or was simply being kind.  
'With him, I'm not sure which' 

"Really it's okay, Ryuji and I saw you in the hall this morning , how you pulled Ann away from kamoshida, i told him to go after you saying that if anybody could help then it was you."

Suddenly his expression grew grim as he focused on her.

"I take it you came to similar conclusions after talking to them?"

Makoto nodded, knowing that what she said next was with all the certainty she possessed in her newly forged rebellious heart.

"Kamoshida. He's the one abusing Suzui-san, and I suspect Ann as well though we weren't able to discuss it." 

Ren nodded in turn.

"Yes, I didn't see much of your exchange with him but I could feel something was off. But I also know that if anybody can stop him it'll be you. Do you think Kawakami could assist at all? 

She felt her brow furrow in thought and frustration.

"We have no real evidence to bring to bear, just conjecture. It would still be beat to inform her though, thank you Ren for all your help."

He looked at her surprised, before her eyes widened at what she had.

"I..um-"  
'Why do I feel so, familiar with him? Do I? Or does...'

"Oh it's Ren now eh? Well I can't say I don't mind it when you say it."

He shifted his bag, checking the time on his phone before looking back up at her.

"And I won't assume anything on my end so I'll see you tomorrow Nii-

"Makoto"

She looked to him with a smile, and heard a curious roar of a motorcycle engine in the back of her mind.

"You can call me Makoto."

He returned her smile and gave a slight bow, eyes never leaving hers.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Makoto." 

Ren left the room and turned the corner of the hallway to make his way to Shibuya, thoughts drifting to Makoto still as a voice crept up in his mind.

"Oh you are so very smitten my trickster"

"Shut up Satanael, I'm just…yeah, yeah it's bad. What's worse is that you're not the only one who knows."

As the voice faded into his mind with a low chuckle, Ren let himself feel a slight flutter in his chest remembering how she said his name.  
It really was a good day after all.

Later, Sakamoto residence

Ann made her way into the apartment after Ryuji, she knew she hadn't been to her real home in days but it wasn't like there was anybody waiting for her right now. And she could really use some of Izumi's home cooking to cheer up after today. 

They plopped down on the couch together where he gave her a gentle look he had given so many times before, and she came undone.  
Mask slipping from her as tears made their way down her cheeks.  
Her voice never wavered as she spoke, but the tears didn't stop.  
She told him everything she had hidden, what she had let Kamoshida do to her, just so he wouldn't touch Shiho. How when Makoto asked her about Shiho and him she had felt so furious that she would suggest it. and she told him what she saw in Kamoshida's palace. How seeing both her and Shiho there could only mean one thing.

Ryuji listened to his friend, someone like a sister to him divulge something she had hidden for so long, he knew there had to be something going on, that there would be no other reason for Ann to hang around that creep.  
He thought about how before today he would have blamed himself for being cowardly, for not doing something before consequences be damned. But he recalled how he acted when Kamoshida spoke abut his mom and dad, how breaking his leg didn't just break him. His talk with Ren from that morning rattled in his mind, 

'Trust me when I say that he can make not just your life hell, but hell for anyone you care about."

And he knew he still believed it.  
So instead of wallowing in anger and pity, or wondering at the what if's, he pulled his friend close, and wept with her. 

Within them both something new stirred, a heat blossoming not in hatred, but in a thirst for justice.  
A heart of rebellion had been forged within them both, and with their wills they would never be broken again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE MUSE IS WITH ME
> 
> Took a bit to get all the ideas together for this chapter but then once i started writing it just kept flowing and before i knew it i was 6000 words deep. Oh and i couldn't resist throwing in some Shumako flirting near the end  
> Hope you all enjoy the chapter!


	9. The devil that you know

As Ren made his way through Shibuya he found himself swept up in memories, for better or for worse.

Taking the Big Bang challange with Ryuji after school for almost a week straight, getting so sick after their repeated failures that couldn't hear the word 'burger' without nausea and how proud Ryuji was of his Captains badge when he finally got it; even taking it into the Metaverse and affixing it to his thief outfit. 

The diner, not yet built, but where he had once hosted many study sessions between Ann, Ryuji, Makoto and Yusuke that often became games of "who can fit more straws in their mouth".  
He always made sure to invite Yusuke not only so that he wouldn't be left out but to ensure he had something to eat that day. 

He shook his head, clearing the memories and the pangs of loss from his mind as he rounded the corner to Iwai's shop to see two suited men of to one corner conversing and making small glances over to the airsoft store.

Ren tsked as he opened the door with it's familiar chime.  
'Seems uncle can't catch a break from nosy cops even in this timeline'

The shop looked just the same, in need of a heavy dusting but every shelf was just as organized and evey display was polished she show off the merchandise. 

Iwai sat on the other side of the counter, hat low over is eyes with his boots up on the glass diplay and a folded over newspaper in his hand. With some curiosity Ren noted he he had it folded over to only show the section on recent murders.

"Welcome to Untouchables, just shout if you need anything alright?"

Ever unable to resist making an entrance, Ren smirked. 

"Oh I don't know, maybe something better than the birthday gift I got when I was 12. Really uncle, a toy swan boat?"

Iwai tipped up the hat with one hand, eyes wide at Ren, mouth slightly agape before spreading into a wide grin.

"That you little RenRen? Hell you got big!"

The paper was flung down onto the counter as he quickly made his way around it; Iwai didn't hold back as he scooped up his surrogate nephew into a massive hug.

"Hot damn it's good to see you kid! What are you doin in Tokyo?? And hey! I thought you liked that swan you punk."

He set him back down with an overly firm pat on the back, arms crossed and still wearing that wide grin.

Ren held up his hands in an apologetic manner.

"I did! And still do, it's on my shelf back home. Just couldn't pack it with me when I came here for probation."

At the word probation Iwai's stance changed, wide grin becoming a frown as his gaze hardened.

"What the hell did you do huh? You know better than anybody how to keep your head down."

At that Ren cocked at eyebrow at him.

"Stopped a guy from assaulting a woman and got it pinned on me by dirty cops. I thought my mom called you about it? She even said you could get me a job here at your shop."

Surprised Iwai rubbed his temples, a heavy sigh escaping him as he took off his hat and swept a hand through his hair.

"Oh, right. Yeah she did. Sorry kid I've just had a lot to deal with recently. How is your mom anyway? Still as much of a hardass as I Remember?"

As they spoke Iwai made his way back around the counter.

"She's doing pretty well despite everything, since the last time you were around she even got a Mechanic shop to call her own now."

Iwai nodded along, a small smile on his face when Ren mentioned her having her own shop, but then he gave him a looked that asked the unasked question that was looming over.  
Thankfully, he could pick up on it easily.

"And it's looks like she's gonna keep that shop. No police got involved more than they needed to with my arrest so she's safe."

Iwai let out a sigh of relief and relaxed into his chair.

"Shit, that's good to know kid. Look I'm sure she supports you stepping into a situation like that just as much as I do but…"

"Yeah, yeah I know. It was why I took the deal to leave for probation so quickly."

Iwai nodded along solemly, a small smirk forming.

"Heh, leave it to Haia's kid to be the first to step up. But I'm also sorry kid I can't help you with a job here, at least right now. Got a lot goin on."

Ren's eyes scanned the numerous dusty shelves and items before giving Iwai an incredulous look.

"Really now? This place could use a good cleaning, And what's Kaoru doing if he's not helping out here?"

Iwai's smirk faltered just for a moment at the mention of his adoptive son.  
"He's..out of town for schooling actually. Got into some fancy tech school that he was excited about and I couldn't turn him down.

Ren knew a lie when he saw one, especially one from family. And the way his eyes kept flitting over to the door...

'He's expecting someone. I shouldn't take up too much of his time and just get to why I came here.'

"Oh yeah? Good to hear he's doing alright. Also, I could use a favor from you and I need you to-"

The door bell jingled, and Ren saw out of the corner of his eye that it was those two officers from outside who entered.   
When he looked back to Iwai he was gone, but soon reappeared coming from the back room with a brown paper bag that he put on the counter.

"Here you go sir, sorry for the delay on your order."

'Oh god Iwai what have you gotten yourself mixed up in."

Ren gave a nod and simple, "thanks" as he took the bag without question.   
As he moved to leave he was pushed aside as one of the officers, the younger between the two with ridiculous sideburns, came up to the counter.

"Munehisa Iwai? We have some questions to ask you."

"How can I help you Detective-san?"

Ren made his way over to the door, doing his best to make it seem like he wasn't trying for a quick exit when he heard Officer Sideburns shout his way.

"Hey! What have you got in that bag there? Open it up!"

Iwai gave the detective a glare.

"You gonna start harraseing my customers now? He's nothing but a customer coming to get his order, you're free to even look at the security tapes if that'll satisfy you."

The older officer cocked a large bushy eyebrow at his partner.

"You do realize you're talking to a kid right?"

Still, Officer Sideburns continued to glare at Ren, as if that was all it would take for him to be cowed.

He kept his voice even and without emotion as he opened the door.

"Ain't like it's any of your business." 

He made his way out, hearing a soft chuckle from Iwai and a frustrated "get it together" from Officer Eyebrows directed at his partner as he left.

He made his way to the station, taking a peek in the bag to confirm it was what he thought it was once he was far enough away.   
He opened the bag, his eyes went wide, he closed it again and kept himself composed as he walked despite the way his heart lept in his chest.  
Inside was a small pistol, concealable and compact. At first Ren thought it a convinsing airsoft gun like his last go through this, but the silencer beside it made it's lethality perfectly clear.

'Oh Iwai, whatever you've got yourself wrapped up in, I'll help you get out of it. I promise.'

Storing it in his bag, he made his way to the trains.

Leblanc café

Ren pushed the door open to see a surprising amount of customers to the small café; Sojiro spotted him right away and with a sigh of relief beckoned him behind the counter.

"Sorry kid, no time for you to get out of your school uniform, here put on this apron."

Sojiro handed a customer their cup of coffee then turned back to Ren, a smile full of mirth on his face.

"I know your coffee's good but let's see how your customer service is. It's the backbone of this industry after all, and hey if you can impress me I might even pay you for your effort."

Ren smirked back as he took of his shujin jacket along with his bag and slid them under the counter, rolling up his turtleneck sleeves as he pulled the apron on.

"I could use some pocket change, let's get to work boss."

With the evening fast approaching, the customers had dwindled down to the regulars, boss leaned against the wall of beans idling smoking those cheap cigarettes he swore were better than the expensive ones while Ren got the pots cleaned and ready for the possiblity of any more customers.

Time ticked onward, evening came and the older folk finished their curry and coffee, the mark of the knowlegable Leblanc regular, gave their compliments to Boss and his new hire then made their way home.

Sojiro grumbled as he looked for just where he had put his pack of smokes, and rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh.

"Damn, it isn't even closing yet but I'm beat. Haven't had that much business in a long time. Oh and you did good kid, you even got in Mrs. Iwata's good graces. Sure you never worked in service before?"

Ren could only shrug from where he was washing dishes.

"Just have a knack for people I guess, and really she was so sweet It was nice to let her talk about her grandchildren while I got the brew going. Just got the feeling that she needed someone to actually listen to her ya know?"

From over by the sink Ren couldn't see but managed to hear the smile in Sojiro's voice when he spoke.

"Then you already know the most important part of this place. I know every regular by name, and I've built that trust by caring about their troubles like they were my own. Hell there's some days where it feels like I'm a part time therapist. Ahah!" 

When Sojiro finally found the pack he had tucked under the counter, most likely when he had to deal with a customer, he grimaced when he saw that he must have smoked the last one.

"But It's all part of the job.  
Say, we'll be closing soon anyway so I doubt there'll be anymore customers but you mind watching the shop while I go grab some more smokes?"

Ren turned his way, cocky grin on his face as he dried his hands.

"Depends, did I impress you enough today for me to get my cut?"

Sojiro gave a harsh barking laugh, already by the door grabbing his coat and hat before he turned back to him.

"Keep up that attitude and you may just lose it kid. We'll discuss it when I get back"

Before he could leave his phone buzzed, and frowned as he looked at the text that popped up.

"Gotta stop by my home to drop off some things too actually, so if I'm not back soon just wait up alright?"

Ren gave a smile back along with a brief nod as Sojiro left.  
With the boss gone and the shop empty, he set to brewing up a lot of coffee for himself and let his thoughts wander.

'I know that right now Futaba's not doing great. Wonder if theres a way I or the soon to be formed Phantom Thieves could contact her sooner without it being suspicious.' 

With the coffee ground to a medium fine, he put in the pot to brew and found his gaze wandering over to the ceiling tile above the third booth in.

'Hmm, I wonder.'

He made his way over, got up on the booths seat and popped open the tile.   
It was surprisingly easy which raised his hopes of what he thought might be there and they were confirmed when he saw the small listening device Futaba had installed.

'Well, this will be a good way to get in touch.'

Making sure he was as close to the device as he could he spoke.

"Don't know who put this here or why. But if you're listening and are good with tech I might just need your help. And I'll be willing to pay for your services. "

He closed the tile and lept off the seat, making sure to brush off the leather or boss would tan his hide if he found footprints on it.

When he heard the bell jingle he turned toward the door, thinking he had cleaned up just in time. But who was standing there utterly surprised him and absolutely shouldn't have.

Sae Niijima took her usual seat at the counter, taking a deep breath of the brewing coffee and gave Ren a critical eye when he hadn't moved to take her order the moment she sat down.

Immedietly realizing his mistake, and recalling that in his past life he had once said 'never keep a Niijima waiting' he hurried behind the counter. His customer service smile was already coming out but died when he saw the unintentional glare she wore.  
'Bad day for Sae it seems'

"What can I get you miss?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, perhaps the glare wasn't unintentional after all.   
There was an uncoomfortable pause that Ren was partially familiar with. Makoto had once explained to him that Sae knew what kind of presence she had and liked to do pauses like this when first meeting someone to see how well they stood up to pressure. For what purpose Ren couldn't fathom, but if this was life with Sae then so be it.  
He kept his face neutral, idly drying off a mug as he kept her gaze. 

"…I'm afraid I don't have much time, and whatever you're brewing there smells lovely so I'll have one cup of that."

He finished drying the mug, put it with the rest, then reached for another.

"Will just be a moment Miss, only put on that Mocha Matari a few moments ago but you're in luck that I did."

He expression seemed to sour at that,   
'Strike one' Ren thought to himself.

"Yes. I suppose I am, at least in this. I haven't seen you here before, are you a recent hire?"

Another cup dryed and put away, so many more to go.

"You could say that. I'm in a bit of difficult situation so Boss took me in, I said I'd work to pay his good will back."

She crossed her legs, arms resting on the counter as she leaned forward.

"Ah. So you're that criminal on probation he took in. Where is Sakura-san anyway? I can't imagine he would leave someone like you to watch his shop."

Ren thought that perhaps that unbelieveably long hour of an interogation with her was possibly training for his second go around, where he might have to deal with her on a more regular basis.  
Thanks to thag experience he was able to take her words with a neutral expression and a nod in return.

"He just stepped out to buy a pack of those cheap cigarettes he loves. And after I proved today that I could handle working here, I think I earned some trust with him."

He checked the coffee, found it roasted to his likeness and began to pour a cup for Sae. 

"I take it you work in law enforcment, if you're aware of my situation. Cream or sugar?"

A nod in turn.

"That's right, in fact I'm a prosecutor. And no, I prefer my coffee black."

Perfectly poured and plated, he placed the coffee before her.

"Noted, I prefer this particular roast the same. And if you're a prosecutor then that would have to make you the legendary Sae Niijima."

The slight raise of an immaculate silver eyebrow as she took her first sip was all he recieved.

He gave a slight smile at that reaction.

"There aren't too many female prosecutors in tokyo, none in fact, save you."

She placed the cup down with a slight clink, eyes closed as she savored the brew. 

"Perhaps Sakura-san was right to take you in despite your situation, you at least somewhat know what you're doing behind that counter so you can be of assistance to his buisness."

She looked up at him over the rim of the coffee mug, those crimson eyes boreing into him. 

"But you're a shujin student as well based on the uniform. Didn't have time to change when you returned home?"

Ren gave a soft chuckle, pulling up his sleeves further.

"The shop was busy today so I pitched in the moment I got back. If you can pick out the uniform so easily, then you must Know someone that goes there?"

Another long sip, the furrowing of her brow seemed to lessen as she nodded.

"My sister, she's the student council president there. If you're going to balance working here with going to school then I suppose that would leave little time to study to keep your grades up, a requirement for your probation if I'm not mistaken."

"I've already set up a schedule to study at Shujin. With your sister in fact, she hasn't mentioned you yet so this is quite the coincidence."

Her brow furrowed again, the cup meeting the plate with a harsher clink than necessary.  
'strike two' Ren thought

"So. You're intent on depending on her support even after all she has done already? You do realize just what she's jeopardizing by associating with you right. I suggest you distance youself from her if you know whats best."

Ren nodded along, eyes closed as he dryed the last mug and mulled over his thoughts.

'While normally I would be suitably sweating right now, It's just good to know that right now she still cares about Makoto's future; though it may just be because she's invested so much into it.'

He pushed the troubling thought away before he spoke, talking with sae was walking a razors edge and he had to be a dancer just like dear old dad .

"I understand your position as her elder sister, but I assure you that M-Niijima-senpai was most insistent about her continued support and from what I.'ve seen of her work ethic not even helping me will slow down her goals for the future. Her commitment to helping others is truly admirable, and I only hope I can pay back her good will by being an example of it."

There was a tense quiet as he wiped down the counter opposite her and she rank her coffee in silence.  
But after particularly long sip she spoke up.

"I…apologize if I was harsh. It has been a difficult day for me and this excellent coffee has truly helped ease my stress."

Her brow furrowed once she finished speaking, a look Ren had grown familair with and recognized it as Satanaels's influence.  
Which, he realized, only happened when someone was struggling greatly and needed to have their heart opened.

"No apology needed Miss. Niijima. It's sounds like you and I can at least agree on the fact that your sister is a wonderful person with a promising future ahead of her. I only hope I can pay her back for all she's done before this years over."

Sae stared and the dwindling black pool in her cup for a moment before nodding. 

"Yes. Yes I suppose we can."

A long sip, and soft sigh to finish her coffee. She looked his way suddenly with a sharpness to her eyes that was far different than before.

"Just so long as nothin uncessary gets in the way of her future. That includes you. Are we clear?"

Ren gave a soft laugh at that, and felt like he was in the clear.

"Of course Miss.Niijima, I wouldn't dream of it."

A low voice rose up from the depths of his mind at that.

'Now I'm famillar with your dreams, so I can't believe what you just said.'

'Satanael. Please. Not now.'

Ren looked to her empty cup, and gave sae a genuine smile.

"Would you like a refil?"

Sae frowned at the empty vessel before her, checked the time on her phone, then with a brief nod looked up. 

"Actually, I think I-"

The door jingled.

"Sorry that took a bit, had to make a few more errands than I thought and...oh."

Sojiro stood by the door, removing his coat and hat, already pulling a cigarette out with his teeth as his glare narrowed at Sae.

"I'm afriad we're closing soon Miss."

Sae gave a nod to Sojiro,  
"Right. Of course. Thank you for the coffee, it was truly excellent."

She payed for her cup, Ren noting with fascination that she actually tipped him, then made her way out the door while Sojiro stood by it and gave her his best stinkeye.

He tsked once she had left, then faced Ren.

"She didn't give you any trouble did she?"

"Just told me not to date her sister. Barely managed to stop myself from saying 'no promises' "

He was thankful for bosses chuckle,bringing back of bit of his good mood as he poured himself and Sojiro two cups. 

"You'd probably be better off heeding that advice, whoever her sister…wait, Niijima. Like the student council president?"

Ren gave a confirming nod and did his best to not look like he'd just confirmed Bosses suspicions.  
Sojiro shook his head as he sat down, lighting up his cigarette and eyeing the coffee pot.

"Shesh kid, you got your work cut out for ya. Now tell me what you made, you better not have touched the hawaiian."

"Wouldn't dream of it boss. This is the Mocha Matari"

"Oh yeah? Not a bad choice, lets see if you got it right."

Sojiro brought the cup to his lips, taking a long sip. His eyes closed as he savored the flavors and letting himself be lost in thought for a moment.  
When he looked up at Ren a truly genuine smile spread across his features.

"You managed to bring out it's full body and keep the wine notes, not an easy thing to do." 

He went back for another sip, leaving Ren to shrug and rub the back of his neck with a goofy grin.

"Thanks boss. I may have had some knowledge coming in but watching you work today was really informative."

Sojiro nodded, cradleing the cup in one hand as he took a long drag of the cigarette.

"You know the history of this roast? Let me explain-" 

As he went on to explain the intracacies of Mocha Matari's flavor profile and it's origins, Ren idly noted that there was a small ping from his phone but he didn't dare check it now. 

They stay for a few moments longer in comfortable silence, broken only when Ren asked a question he knew he needed to.

"It may not be any of my business, but Niijima-san seemed to get quite the reaction from you, how'd you meet?"

Boss gave him a slight glare over his coffee cup, lips pursed in a line as he drank but the young man didn't flinch.   
A moment longer after his cup was on his saucer and after a particularly long drag on his cigarette, the barista looked evey bit his age for a moment as he spoke.

"You're not entirely right. It may not be your buisness now but it could be later, what with her being a prosecutor and all. I used to work in the goverment you see, nothing major about it I just followed a close friend on their path as a scientist but it was all over my head. A while back apparently the research of her group caught the interest of someone above Niijima-san, and she came down to demand answers."

Another long sip of coffee that brought a bit of the color back into his features, it truly was his lifeblood.

"I knew what she was after but I had nothing to give her. I didn't keep any of the research after, well, after the group broke up. Well she didn't like that see? Thought I was hiding something and intent on getting to the bottom of a dry well she threatened the safety of my daughter, Futaba."

Ren nodded with understanding, and nothing how difficult this was for his guardian he kept his words brief.

"You spoke of her before, said she had difficulty with things?"

"Yes, she's been through so much already what with….ah, I don't want to get into it now. But Niijima-san threatened to have inquires put in as to her safety and living conditions. Made it very clear she could get her taken away if I didn't give her what she wanted."

With a soft sigh he finished his mug, putting it aside to finish his cigarette.

"Still hold a bit of pride that I kept my decorum even after that.   
I served her her coffee, and told her to come back with a warrent.  
It never came so I assume either nothing came of it or the information was found elsewhere. Regardless it seems that one cup had an impact, now she comes around late at night when I least expect it, but only for the coffee." 

Ren finished his own cup then picked up the bosses to take it to the sink   
As well, speaking up as he washed.

"Can't imagine how difficult it is being a woman in her field, still doesn't excuse that kind of unjust behavior though. If I see her again I'll make sure to keep the same profesionalism but nothing more."

He checked his phone, and was pleased when he saw another message from an unknown number but with the familiar image of a smiling black cat.  
Hearing sojiro scoff caused him to turn.

"Don't go burning any bridge on my account, maybe someone in your position could learn a thing or two from her about what to do and not to do with the law."

A small smile formed as he stubbed out his cigarette, then walked over to the register.

"Besides, you seem to have made an impression on her. Of all the times she's been in here I've never heard her call my coffee excellent. Speaking of which, here."

Ren turned from the sink back to him, and was surprised to find about 5,000 yen being offered to him.

"You earned it kid, you keep up the kind of performance you had today and you'll go far in this field; Continue to impress me and I might just show you a thing or two in the kitchen to impress the ladies. They can't get enough of a man that can cook after all."

Ignoring the stunned expression on his face Sojiro walked past the counter, heading to the door to grab his things but stopped part way before he turned back.

"Hey kid, I have a feeling I already know but, tell me about what happened that got you this record. You just listened to an old man blather on about his woes for far too long, only right I return the favor."

Ren did his best to hold back tears, feeling like he had gotten his father figure back if only for just a moment as he nodded, circling around the counter in front of Sojiro where he had sat back down.  
As he explain the situation that got him here Sojiro nodded sagely, face darkenening as he explained the specifics.   
Ren's eyes flicked to the ceiling tile above the third booth for a moment, then finished his story knowing just who was listening in.

Several moments of silence passed after Ren finished his tale.  
Sorjiro said nothing as he stood, eyes closed in thought for a moment before he took out his keys with a sigh, pulled off one of them and slid it across the counter.

"You've been dealt a bad hand kid. And I certainly didn't make it easier for you did I? That's my spare key to Leblanc, young guy like yourself probably has all kinds of things you'd like to do on a fine evening like this so, you think you can handle locking up for me at the end of the day?"

Ren took the key with a swelling heart, doing his best to keep it together as he nodded to his guardian.

Sojiro nodded once, rubbed the back of his neck then quickly paced to the door to grab his things, muttering a small "goodnight kid" before he left.

Still reeling from the exchange Ren spoke with conviction in his inner mind.  
'Thank you Satanael, for helping me reforge this bond.'

A rumble of thunder for a moment in his thoughts, then a familiar voice spoke.

'I have done nothing. What I have gifted you I did with the faith you would use it to heal others hearts, and be a balm to their pain. The trust you have gained was by no other hand than your own.'

When no other words came Ren felt his other half retreat back into his heart as he smiled at the key.  
Today had already been tiresome so he didn't plan on heading out anywhere, and there was something else that demanded his attention.

Checking his phone he saw that he had recieved a few new messages while he had been talking with sojiro

(Unknown): How did you find my bug Ren Amamiya? 

(Unknown): And where do you get off making demands of someome you don't even know? I could be a murderer you know, and if I put that bug there I could even get into your room.

(Unknown): You might even be endangering that nice old man you're talking with. Did you even consider that? 

As he was looking over the messages another one popped up.

(Unknown): Wow. Nice tragic backstory you got there.

Remembering all of Futabas antics brought a smile to his face as he typed his reply.

(Ren): Thanks, didn't make it myself so I'm just glad it avoided the whole cursed lineage angle. It's pretty overdone. And if you wanted to hurt Sojiro you wouldn't have just placed a listening device.

(Unknown): Yeah it gets old if you don't do it right. And who's to say I only placed a bug?  
My question still stands by the way. Oh, and to make this easier,since I already know who you are you can call me Alibaba.

His phone seemed to automatically update with her prefered title.

(Ren): well if you're the real Alibaba then I know you wouldn't hurt him unless he deserved it, which meams you're exactly who I need help from.   
As to how I found your bug, I was cleaning the ceiling tiles and found it too easy to open, thats when I saw it.

(Alibaba): Glad my reputation preceds m,Do not be fooled by immitators! I'm the one and only.  
Also thats impossible.  
Nobody cleans the ceiling tiles in Leblanc.

(Ren): I do now that I work her after school, and you're that familiar with the place are you?

Several moments passed with Ren waiting for a reply, and was worried he might have scared her off when he heard that familiar ping.

(Alibaba): Well, what are you going to do about it then? 

(Ren): Well If you do me a favor and help me take down a shithead I won't mention it the Boss, who I'm guessing you don't want to know about it. 

(Alibaba): I often take down people who are way too up themselves and think they can't be caught. So sorry but I have pretty high standards for who get the bad end of my skillz.

(Ren): They're a teacher at my school who's abusing and sexually assaulting his female students.

(Alibaba):  
……Okay I'm intrigued but if you already know why the hell aren't you going to like, I dunno just off the top of my head THE POLICE???  
Not like I'm getting anything out of this.

(Ren): Cause I know where the proof is and would need you to get it for me. Theres plans in motion to expose him but I need that first.   
And aside from the joy of taking the bastard down, I will do litteraly whatever you want me to do.

Several more moments passed, giving Ren at least time to stash the bag with the gun under his bed. Hopefully he can find somewhere to dispose of it, the only reason he could think of for why Iwai gave it to him.  
His phone pinged once again.

(Alibaba): Anything huh? Pretty stupid and dangerous writing that kind of blank check to someone you don't even know.

(Ren): Call it a sign of good faith then.   
Since you're the real Alibaba, I have a feeling you won't make me do anything horrendous.   
Helping me get this information is worth any price if it helps keep people safe even for just a bit more

(Alibaba): Deal, I'll do it but you have to deliver on end of the bargain first.   
Watch this video. Learn it real good.

-video link

Then film yourself doing it, then we'll have a deal.

Ren quirked an eyebrow at the message, the whole thing feeling very much like Futaba's idea of a joke.  
Then he clicked on the video and a peppy vocaloid voice filled the room.

"….you have got to be kidding me."

Sighing heavily he typed out his next message.

(Ren): Deal. Do I need to have to wear the maid outfit too? 

(Alibaba): You're serious. Thats good.  
And yeah duh.

Rubbing his temples as he wondered just where he was gonna find a maid outfit at this time of night Ren responded, laying down his terms in this embaressment.

(Ren): Alright, I'll need time to get the outfit but I'll need you to get started on getting those files, I don't want him hurting anybody else even for just one more day.

(Alibaba): Then I'll need a name.

A wave of relief washed over him when he saw that message.  
'Might be able to keep Kamoshida scared enough before his change of heart to meep Shiho safe. Well worth Futaba holding this over him indefnitely. Once they properly met that is'

(Ren): His name is Suguru Kamoshida, volleyball coach at shujin Academy and I'll need you to leave a message for him.  
He needs to know someone else is aware of his crimes so he'll be too scared to harm any others until he's exposed.

(Alibaba): So you're blackmailing your pervy teacher until you can take him down? 

(Ren): I take it that's not a problem?

(Alibaba): It's my favored terrain in fact. Alright we have a deal, now go fulfill your end of the bargain while I do mine.   
I'll contact you when I'm done and expecting payment, and don't worry I'll be deleting these messages, completely, so theres no trace of this. 

Resigning himself to his fate he started pondering, then his phone pinged once more.

(Alibaba): Oh! One more thing, remember to get the peppiness right for the dance. Won't accept it without pep.

-conversation deleted-

Ren blinked and found the text chain had vanished; with a heavy sigh he concluded that there was only once place this late where he could get a maid outfit. But it would involve a great deal of shame for both parties.

He went down to the Leblancs phone, dialed a number he knew by heart, and asked for Becky. 

Earlier, Niijima residence

After Makoto had finished talking with Kawakami-sensei, discussing what she was investigating and to her shame lying to her that she had no suspects and was only looking into rumors, she had come home to a thankfully empty apartment.

Afyer returning from the metaverse she hadn't been able to find the bandage she had on her cheek where now only a thin white scar rested and had to rely on a piece of white tape to cover it when she talked with her teacher.   
It had worked for the seemingly exhausted Kawakami-sensei but Sae would immedietly ask questions as to one, how she lost her bandage and why she was using tape, and two, how her cut had miraculously healed itself within a day. 

Stumbling into the bathroom she forced herself to complete her nightime routine despite her exhaustion, got into her buchi-kun pajamas, reaplied her bandage and nestled under the welcoming weight of all her blankets.   
It wasn't long before sleep found her, but it was even shorter compared to when she was woken up by the sound of chains dragging across a stone floor.

Her eyes snapped open, finding herself once again staring at the ceiling of this strange cell she kept returning to.

"Bout time you got up inmate!"

"Our master is waiting for you"

Sittng up from her reclined position on her cot she saw the two young girls who the familiar voices belonged to.

Caroline and Justine both stood tall and proud on the other side of her cell door, well, as tall as they could be. 

When she stood, finding her hands once more shackled as they would always seem to be here, she heard a voice cut through the chill silence.

"My my, Your rehabilitation is progressing even faster than I had anticipated." 

Makoto stood to her full height now, approaching and peering past the bars to see the long nosed man, Igor the master of the Velvet Room, sitting atop his judges podium.

"Not only have you discovered how to use my gift to you, but you have unlocked the power of your own persona and-"

Igor's fingers steepled in front of his face, ever present grin seeming to grow wider and his stare becoming more eager.

"-you have made your first deal. Remarkable progress. You may yet be able to abate the coming ruin"

Makoto's eyes narrowed but she nodded firmly as she took in his words.

"I lied before, I didn't truly know this was all real before. But after today, after learning about the metaverse and Palaces and the powers of persona-"

She reached out and gripped the bars with force, eyes never breaking from Igor's.

"I'll do whatever I have to being people like Kamoshida to Justice, to ensure nobody else comes to harm, and use whatever power I have to stop this ruin you speak of."

Igors eyes went wide and one hand stretched out to her.

In the cell a scroll and quill materlaized in front her, hovering there as it unfurled.

It read, 

I, Makoto Niijima, hereby do acknowledge my place in this game and will accept it's results without dispute. As well I will acknowledge my role as this games player and will forge any pact I must to stop the coming ruin and henceforth commit to my rehabilitation under Igor, master of the Velvet Room.

As Makoto read it over,Igors hollow laughter echoed through the room.

" Excellent. Then I believe it's time we forged a proper compact you and I, so that your power will reach to even greater heights."

Makoto sat there in silence for a moment, knowing that there had to be some trick to this, be it invisible ink or some hidden thing beneath the page where she was also signing her name.   
Even still, she knew there was no way for her to check for these things, not here in this dream where Igor was in control.

She took the quill in her hand, and winced as gripping it drew a small spoke of pain from her finger when she did.

A drop of her blood welled at the quill's tip, confirming for her just what kind of being she was making a deal with as she raised it the paper.

'The devil that you know, I suppose'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serious thanks to everybody who's been reading this and all the people leaving kudos.   
> This is my first ever fanfic so every tick up on the reader count warms my heart and I can't thank you all enough.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's more focused on Ren and is more of a set up for future ones but I still enjoyed writing it, enjoy!
> 
> Oh and for people who want to know what video Futaba sent Ren
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8Wkwhh4bY


	10. From the shadows

Ren turned around from where he stood in front of the coffee pot, apron whirling through the air dramatically and the shock clear on his face as he gasped.

"Kawakami-sensei!? B-but what are you...nope. Nope Not feeling it."

'One more time' he thought to himself  
'This time it'll be believable I'm sure of it

Since he had dialed that number and asked for becky he had been taking his time getting everything set up; he grabbed a set of sweatshirt and pants to have placed aside, 15,000 yen since he had a feeling this was going to cost extra, finally he had the coffee pot brewing with cuban crystal mountain which he recalled was Kawakami's favorite from Leblanc.

Currently he was practicing his shocked reactions since he knew exactly who was coming and wouldn't be surprised, but while he was a good lier he was quickly realizing that he was a terrible actor.

He sat back in the nearest booth seat with his head in his hands, groaning at what was soon to come.

He had hoped that this time around he would be able to avoid this awkward situation with his teacher and would he able to help her out of her situation another way but it seemed fate had other plans for him. Or rather the same plans.

It was as he was considering how to approach the situation next that he heard the door jingle followed by a shrill sacharine voice saying

"Hello master! Let Becky soothe your troubles and clean up your heart! I hope that you don't mind that she's a little dirty"

It was at that last line that he raised his head in genuine confusion, and his eyes went wide at what he saw.

Kawakami seemed to be dripping wet despite clear efforts to dry off.  
Much of the white of the the outfit was colored a slight brackish brown and at least half the makeup on her face was washed off and effort had been done to make it look as neat as it could.

Kawakami's jovial "happy to please" expression was already strained when he looked up, but it rapidly faded to one of exhausion and a complete lack of patience when their eyes met.

"….You have got to be kidding me."

"Sensei? Why are you, what happened to your, well everything. No offense."

She pinched her nose, her eyes shut tight as she dropped her head into her hands and gave a muffled scream before she pulled them back and was completely composed once more despite the flush on her face saying otherwise.

"Okay! We're going to forget about this. I'm not going to charge you beacause you never ordered a maid tonight.  
I'm going to give you a passing grade on your next assignment and you're not going to tell anybody that I waa here! Sound good? Good." 

With that she immedietly spun on her heels and moved to open the door, causeing Ren to jump up to try and catch her attention before his plan failed before it started.

"Wait! There was another reason I called a maid here."

She looked back confused and he reached over and grabbed the stack of bills and was about to try and explain further when the door slammed shut with enough force to shake the light fixtures and cause him to flinch.

She looked back at him with more fury in her eyes than he'd ever seen and she stalked up to him, raising a finger to his face with gritted teeth.

"If you think that you not only can request me, assume I give those kind of services but then think that I would do them for a minor let alone my own student then you have ano-!"

"I need your maid outfit!"

Ren quickly shouted his intentions, feeling a bead of sweat run down his temple as he unconciously held his breath for her response.

"Um, what?"

Kawakami could only cock her head at him confused.  
His declaration had at least calmed her tyraid and made it clear that he didn't call her for illicit purposes, but it still didn't make any sense.

He let himself breath, attempting to gather himself as he stepped back from her to also grab the set of sweats.

"Just for the hour you're here.  
I promise I will explain everything, and I promise I didn't plan anything untoward. I just, need your maid uniform and for you to not ask more questions than necessasary, I won't either sensei."

She looked at him with a critical eye that flicked between him the sweats and then the money, her gaze sizing him up as she took in his words.  
It was when she took a deep breath for composure that the smell of freshly brewed coffee perked her up and she gave Ren a determined look.

"So, you just want my outfit huh? Well, I can't say I'm not eager to get out of it after having dish water dumped on me when I walked under the wrong window.  
But I'm gonna help myself to that pot of coffee there and you're going to keep your word about not asking questions, deal?"

Ren nodded emphatically as she snatched up the sweats and then the bills in his hand right after, eyes going wide to stare at him when she finished counting.

"Where'd you get all this!?"

Ren rubbed the back of his neck, walking around the counter to pour her an extra large cup of coffee and gestured for her to sit down.

"It's some of my savings that I brought with me from home. I figured that any maid I asked to let me borrow their outfit would want to be paid extra. Cream and sugar?"

"Well, I'm impressed that you had this much saved up but my usual rate is only a third of this, I can't in good conscience take any more than that despite the strangeness here. And yes, two of each." 

Ren finished making her cup and slid it in front of her as she sat down; he tossed a towel over his shoulder and looked her in the eye.

"Really, I want you to take it. I already was content to give it as payment and if you're working this kind of job then-"

He shook his head, not wanting to bring it up lest she feel he was asking unnecessary questions.

"You can have it. Take what you'd normally be paid and just pocket the rest it's the least I can do with what I'm asking of you."

Kawakami looked at him for a moment and was taken aback by his willingness to part with the sum, but she nodded along when it became clear he wouldn't budge on it then she took a large gulp of the hot coffee in front of her.  
Her stiffness immedietly seemed to drain from her stance as she wrapped her fingers around the cup, taking in every bit of it's warmth and even giving a hum of pleasure as she drank.

"Hot damn that's good. Your guardian already teach you how to make coffee this good?"

"I had a fair bit of knowledge in the craft before I came here but he helped teach me a great deal. I take it the cuban crystal mountain is to your liking?"

Another hum of pleasure as she took another drink, eyes closing to savor it.

"Mmmm, yup! I had honestly forgotten that most coffee's had names other than instant, let alone other flavors besides milk and sugar"

Ren gave a sheepish grin, content to let her drink her coffee in peace as a gentle rain picked up outside.

After looking her over and seeing just how disheveled she looked and recalling how she said she had dishwater accidently tossed on her, he piped up with another offer.

"Ya know sensei, there is a working shower in that bathroom." 

She gave him a slight glare as she set her half empty cup down, her lips pursed into a tight line.

Senseing she was still skeptical of his intentions he continued with a shrug.

"I just thought you might want to feel clean is all, and it locks from the inside."

Kawakami could practially feel the oil building in her hair so the prospect of a hot shower sounded heavenly, despite the strange circumstances.

Taking a deep breath she downed the rest of her cup of coffee and stood, walking to the bathroom and grabbing the sweats as she did so.

"You're guardian doesn't know I'm here right?"

"Not at all."

As she opened the bathroom door she gave him one last look, filled with all the command she could muster which was still a great deal.

"Let's keep it that way."

The door shut. A moment later it opened up again slightly and the maid uniform, a cat ear headband, and white stockings were flung out before it promptly shut again with the click of the lock. Ren startrd gathering up the clothes when he heard the sound of the shower start up.

As Ren was looking the items over he was thankful that the uniform had several size adjustment laces, it was then that he heard his phone ping.

Checking it he saw Alibaba's icon with a new message for him.

(Alibaba): yo yo, I've done my part of the deal. Got the files you were after and checked them to confirm, he's one sick bastard and I left a message letting him know he's screwed and that he'll be watched.  
Now I'm happy to help take him down, buuuut I still require payment for my services.  
How goes it?

(Alibaba): I'm already in your bank account so I can get it one way or another, but I'd prefer what was promised.

Ren smirked and shook his head, feeling foolish for thinking this would take her more than 30 minutes with her skill as he typed up his reply.

(Ren): Got the maid outfit, will do the dance as you requested. Thank you for all you've done but I'm sorry you had to witness his crimes.

(Alibaba): This isn't the first person like this I've taken down and it defo won't be the last.  
Oh and I know you got the outfit I just wanted to see if you'd try and lie. Props to you for not even trying."

Ren's eyes went wide as he was walking to his room, flickng up to where the listening device was that'd he'd completely forgotton about as he spoke with Kawakami. He audibly groaned when he heard his phone ping once again and he brought up the mesaage.

(Alibaba): lol, so you called your teacher who moonlights as a maid huh?  
Normally I would say thats kinky but you seemed pretty genuine with how you talked to her.

Ren sat on his bed, giving up halfway on getting the stockings on when it was clear they wouldn't fit without tearing.

(Ren): Time was of the essence. I can't get the stockings to fit is it alright if I go without?

(Alibaba): Hmmm, I will allow it this time. The fact that you tried is what counts. 

Lacing up this damndable uniform was more difficult tha he thought, and was quite thankfull that he didn't have a mirror up in his room or else he would never be able to shake the image of him in it from his mind.

(Ren) while I hope there won't be a next time that I require your services…eh I'd pay this price again if I had to.

(Alibaba): And that is why I'm starting to like you Ren.

(Ren): you too Futaba.

Ren tossed the phone on his bed, finishing the final adjustments and putting the headband on when his eyes went wide as the realization of what he'd just casually typed shot through his system.  
He grabbed the phone, quickly opening the chat to desperatly try and delete the message when his heart sank at the text below it saying it'd already been seen. 

A few dots popped up indicating a message being written. They vanished the next moment, then popped up again, and were gone again. 

He groaned into his pillow, realizing that with this slip up he needed to just bite the bullet now and hope he didn't scare her too much.

(Ren): Did I guess right?

He hovered over the send button as the dots popped up once more only to disappear again.  
Sighing he hit send then typed out another message after it. 

(Ren): Starting to film.

He proped his phone up on the table in front of the Tv, queing up the music up the music to play and setting the video running as he positioned himself.

He did his best job to immitate the dance he had seen, and felt pretty good with how he kept to the rhythm as he did so.  
Finally, after about 4 minutes he gave a bow to the camera, flashed a peace sign and walked over to turn off the recording. 

He sighed with relief when He saw that the chat hadn't been deleted, but she still hadn't responded.

As he pulled up the video to watch it and ensure he did it right, his head slowly rose to look over at the presence he felt in the corner of the room. 

Kawakami was leaning against the backwall near the stairs, her hair up in a towel, wearing the sweats he'd leant her and a neutral expression as she sipped her new cup of coffee.

A beat of silence hung between the two of them, both never breaking the others gaze.

After a long loud slurping sip, kawakami closed her eyes and sighed.

"….You messed up the final part of the dance."

At that Ren was finally shook from his stupor of embaressment, blinking rapidly as he looked at his teacher.

"I…what?"

Another long sip from her coffee, before she set it down on the table near by and fully walked into the room to address him.

"The dance. It's one myself and a lot of other maids at Victoria's have been asked to do so I pracically know it by heart now. Here let me show you, and pay attention alright?"

Ren watched with rapt attention as she did a flawless recreation of the dances's final movements and realized where it was that he got the timeing wrong and thus offset the whole rhythm of the finale.

Once she finished she rolled up her sleeves and gave him an expectant look.

"Well? You see what you did wrong?" 

Ren nodded and brought a hand to his chin.

"Huh, I do actually. Thank you sensei." 

Kawakami gave a brief nod in return, then strolled back over to where her coffee rested before picking it up once more.

"Wish I could I was happy to help. Now proceed."

She leaned against the table now, looking at him with a gaze that told him to simply 'get on with it'.

Ren could barely stammer out a response but she beat him to the punch.

"Based on how commited you looked while you were doing it, I'm assuming that you lost a bet or that this is for something very important so I'll watch you to make sure It's right. And since we agreed to not ask unecessary questions I'll only ask only one.  
Who told you to request me?"

Ren was stymied for a moment, realizing that he couldn't give the whole truth but that he didn't want to completely lie to her either, something told him he was off his game right now and she would see through a bold faced lie.

"Nobody told me to request you, I saw the flyer when I went to go see you today and the number stuck in my head cause I thought it strange.  
I can honestly say that I was completly surpised to see you of all people dressed like- 

Ren gestured to what he currently was wearing.

"-when you came through the door."

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Can't believe I left a flyer there. And you just memorized the number huh?"

"I have a very good memory. You'll see once exams roll around."

"I better! So it wasn't one of the teachers? It wasn't Ms. Chouno?"

"Nope. Not at all."

Kawakami gave a sigh of relief, then set her coffee back down as she walked over to pick up the phone.

"Here, It'll look a lot better if I hold the camera."

Ren could feel the heat in his cheeks as he nodded.

"You're right. Thank you sensei." 

"Please don't mention it."

The rest of Kawakami's hour there was spent giving Ren tips and pointers as he did the dance, until the finished product was flawless.  
While she changed back into her outfit in the bathroom, he sent Futaba the final video to which he recieved a prompt response.

(Ren): Here you go, hope it satisfies.  
\- video attached

(Alibaba): Thanks, didn't really want it though. Just needed to know you'd go through with it. Heres your copy of the files.  
-files attached

Once he had finished downloading the files to a seperate memory card he had, another mesaage popped up.

(Alibaba): You totally guessed wrong by the way.

And just like that the chat had been deleted in full. He heard Kawakami exit the bathroom door looking more like how he expected her to look but she hadn't bothered to put her hair back up in the pigtails she wore for the job.

He had filled a spare thermus he had with coffee for her and offered it her way.

She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.

"Thanks. Normally I would turn this sort of thing down but, It's really good coffee and I'm gonna be up grading things after this." 

Ren rose up from his seat, with her trailing behind as he opened the door.

"Of course. Would be a shame to waste it afterall."

At the door she gave him a nod, her neutral expression quickly becoming that of concern as she steped closer.

"Amamiya-san, are you okay? I know all of what just happened wasn't normal but I just need to make sure that nobody is forcing you to do things. As your teacher." 

Ren felt a smile form as he nodded, despite all that she'd been through nothing would stop her from looking out for her students even if she often felt like her actions only caused harm.

"I'm alright sensei, I promise. I won't go into why I had to do this but you were right that it was for something very important."

She searched his expression for a moment longer before stepping back.

"Alright. I won't get involved but I need to make sure that you're not in trouble." 

As she stepped out the door she gave him one final pleading look.

"Never talking of this again right?"

"Oh god no" 

Pleased with his response she offered a soft smile and waved goodbye. 

Ren rubbed his eyes, content to finally lock up and get some rest, hoping that he'd be ready for whatever the next day brought but knowing that he almost certaiy wouldn't.

The next day Makoto Niijima was filled with excitement that was getting the better of her, finding Igors gift to be a mixture of blessing and bane.  
While she could turn it on and off, the Third Eye he had gifted after their compact was sealed was making her mind run wild with possibilities.

She could see the smallest details if she wanted to, footprints on the floor that she could trace to who left them, she could even see the forms of people walking on the other side of walls and their lines of sight.

It was all so marvelous and perfect for her needs, but when she realized she had just been asked a question by the person in front of her she shook the Third Eye from her mind and looked straight at who she was meant to be having a meeting with, doing her best to apologize.

"My apologies, I was lost in thought concerning another issue but thats no excuse. Please could you repeat the question I promise you have my full attention."

Hana Takagi sat across from her, hair slightly desheveled with numerous pieces of paper scattered around the table and looking incredulous as she clearly had just finished an impassioned speech and Makoto had zoned out for all of it.  
She sat back in her chair, adjusting her bright red rimmed glasses as she cleared her throat.

"I did not realize dealing with the newspaper club was taking time away from something more valuble to you. Perhaps we can speak another time when you are able to listen to my pleas Miss. President." 

With that she began quickly gathering her things, already making her way to the door with a muttering of "freakin robot" before Makoto could stammer out a reply.

"W-wait Takagi-san! You want to increase the newspaper clubs budget right? Thats what your passionate speech was about."

Hana stopped, took a deep breath and turned back to the student council president.

"Yes. The quality of our work speaks for itself and with what we have to work with we can hardly delve into any of the stories that deserve to be heard while many other clubs get double, nay triple the budget to work with while we are forced to languish and allow what justice must be done be-!" 

"I'll being it up at the next council budget meeting and will vote for a drastic increase in your budget. As well as other clubs."

With her head still held high as she was doing her best to respectfully tell off her peer, Hana's stance faltered at what she heard and looked at Makoto perplexed.

"You will? just like that?"

Makoto nodded and stood up to address her fellow president, eyes hard and determined.

"Yes. You're completely right Takagi-san. Many other clubs have been left to break up or barely get by while others budgets like that for the volleyball club grow fatter and fatter. It's injustice at it's finest and I've been a fool to overlook it for so long. When the student council next meets I'm going to propose a redistribution of the volleyballs clubs budget to other clubs that need it like yours."

As she spoke Makoto gave a bow to her peer which caused her to jolt in further confusion and caused her to stammer out a reply.

"O-oh um, okay. Well, thank you senpai. To hear such passion about justice from you is truly surprising but, I assure you that the newspaper club won't let you or anybody in this school down!" 

Makoto raised her head and have a gentle smile.

"I look forward to the clubs future reports Takagi-san."

Hana gave a determeined nod in return, then a look of contemplation crossed her face before she spoke next.

"Um, as much as I and other clubs will appreciate the increased budget it might be prudent to wait for another day to tell Kamoshida-sensei about the decrease to his clubs funds. He's been in a mood today."

At that Makoto's protective instincts kicked into high gear, wether or not they were hers or Johanna's was little difference at this point.

"What kind of mood? I've been investigating the rumors of abuse surrounding him so if you have information for me on this.."

Hana's eyebrows practically rocketed into the ceiling when Makoto let slip she was investigating those claims.

"You are?! The principal had us put a stop to any allegations under threat of our clubs disolvement.  
"Gross slandering of a respected teacher" he called it and-."

Makotos gaze narrowed as Takagi-san spoke, her thoughts find new connections.  
'So the principal has been blocking people from investigating. Interesting'

"- he seemed very concerned as to what our investigations could do to the schools image. But I digress, Kamoshida isn't his usual carefree dilligent self today. He's aggresive and snapping at students left and right for small things, he even cut the volleyball practice short and has been in his office since."

Makoto nodded taking in the new information and was about to speak when she heard a soft tapping sound behind her, coming from the window.

She glanced back for a moment, doing her best to make it seem like her focus was still on Takagi-san and her eyes went wide at what she saw.

Outside the window was a sleek black furred cat with a white muzzle, a yellow bandana around it's neck and bright blue eyes that were looking right at her. The sight caused makoto thoughts to race.

'It couldn't be, but what other explanation is there' 

As if to cofirm her suspicions it nodded at her then stalked out the windows view.  
She turned her attention back to Takagi-san, did her best to assure her she would be looking into this further but that there were other issues she had to tend to as she ushered her out the door and on her way.

As soon as the door to the student council room shut she locked it and swiftly turned back to the window, where the cat was now waiting for her with it's tail swishing dramatically.

She opened it and the cat immedietly pounced past her into the room with an utterance of "Finally! Thought she'd never leave".

She closed the window, eyes fixed on this cat that she was certain just spoke. 

'Well, I suppose I should be ready for anything now.'

She took a deep breath, eyes closed as she gathered herself.

"Morgana? Is that you?"

The cat turned and somehow smiled at her and sent a wink her way as it jumped up onto the table.

"The one and only! Now are you ready to get down to business?"

Makoto had to sit down, the situation taking longer to adjust to than she thought.

"Yes, I am. So um, you really are a cat- "

At Morgana's sudden glare she ammended her statement.

"- I mean that you reall look like a cat! But you're clearly not? Sorry this is more confusing than I thought."

Morgana shook his head, then brought up a hind leg to scratch his ear.

"I get it. I know I'm human, I mean I must be. But for some reason when I'm over in the real world I look like this."

'..so you're most likely a cat then by that logic.'

Makoto nodded along, keeping her thought to herself but before she could speak there was a knock at the door.  
Her eyes went wide and she whispered a paniced "hide!" To morgana.

To the self proclaimed thief's credit, he was halfway to doing so before she spoke.

Composing herself she went to go unlock the door, and was relived to see who stood there.

"Perfect timing, It's best you both come inside."

Ann and Ryuji filed in one after the other with Makoto closing the door after them; both the blonds seemed to be in similar moods of displeasure based on their faces as they sat down.

Ryuji was the first to speak up, his arms crossed as he looked at Makoto.

"You heard about the shitty mood Kamoshida's been in today?"

When Makoto sat down across from them and nodded Ann continued his thought.

"we're worried what we did in his palace had an impact on him here.  
Last night he was pestering me to come over but then he suddenly called and said he didn't want to see me for a while, do you think he knows we were in his head?" 

Before Makoto could begin to speak of her half formed theories, Morgana jumped up onto the table to clear things up.

"Impossible. Theres no way the cognitive self could have knowledge the shadow self posseses, whatever we do over here has an impact since it's his cognition, but our actions in the metaverse don't carry over to the real world."

As he spoke Makoto felt a wave a relief at that, it meant his aggression wasn't because of their actions but was due to something else entirely.  
When she looked to the others to see if they were similarly relieved she saw only looks of absolute baffled confusion.

"Oh, right. Ann, Ryuji, this is Morgana. He simply looks like a cat while in our world."

Ryuji could only send an expression that she assumed meant he was still flabergasted by this, but Ann was slowly reaching a hand out Morgana with a sparkle in her eye.

"…you're so smooth! Can I just, is it alright if I pet you? Oh who am I kidding that must be super weird for you and-"

Morgana cut off her rambling as he headbutted her outstretched hand and gave a low pur causing Ann to squee in delight.

"Lady Ann, you may pet me as much as you desire."

Ryuji at least seemed to take it all in stride as he shrugged.

"Okay. This might as well happen after what we saw yesterday." 

He also reached a hand out to give Morgana a pat but his sudden glare stayed his hand.

"Not you monkey."

The two locked eyes for a moment, the tension undercut by Morgana's clear attemt to not pur as Ann scritched behind his ears.

Ryuji sat back with a huff ,looking away for a moment with a grumble that sounded like,  
"Didn't want to pet you anyway"  
before getting back on topic.

"So, what we did didn't do anything to set him off?" 

To his chagrin Morgana had to put a paw on Ann's hand to cease the petting so he could speak.

"Nope. I've been observing him too as I wandered around looking for Makoto here. He's pissed at something, which means going into his palace is gonna be that much more dangerous."

His last sentence was directed at Makoto who nodded along, removing her arm from the now needless sling and flexing her hands like she would before Akido Practice.

Ryuji also cracked his neck while Ann stretched.

"So It'll be tough, but it'll be fine with you too there." 

With her stretch finished she gave a wide grin to the group.

"Yeah! Makoto was at half strength last time and she was still kicking butt all over the place."

Morgana and Makoto shared a look, then turned to face the others.

"You two really shouldn't come along, if it's as dangerous as Morgana says right now then.."

"You'll only slow us down."

Morgana's harsh words cut through the air like a hot knife, but still left a heavy tension afterwards.

Ryuji looked understandably furious while Ann wrapped her arms around her midsection.

"Bullshit! We both have stake in bringing this bastard down! We can't just- " 

Makoto and Morgan both spoke in as gentle a way as they could.

"You may not be able to help in the metaverse, but I'm sure theres all kinds of things you two could do from the real world to help take him down."

It was Ann's turn to be furious next.

"You don't think we'vr tried everything we could do?! This is our one chace to make him pay.

Makoto was trying all she could to get a handle on the situation.

"Ryuji nobody is saying you can't help, but without a persona to defend yourself-"

Ryuji reached into his bag, and withh more force than necessary slammed the two objects he pulled out onto the table.  
What Makoto saw made her heart stop, and also revalutate what she knew of Ryuji Sakamoto.

Morgana jumped at the noise, but his tail flicked in excitement and thought.

"Whoahh, hmm" 

Doing her best to keep her voice even she spoke with her glare firmly fixed on Ryuji.

"Ryuji…tell me where you got those. Right now."

Ryuji shared a panicked look with Ann as he shrunk back.

"Don't worry Makoto they're not real! Ryuji just thought they might help!"

"Y-Yeah! They're just airsoft see?"

Ryuji undid the clip to show that it was only loaded with small platic pellets and Makoto's glare immedietly faded much to the young mans relief.  
Before she could chid him for even bringing those on campus Morgana gave a snickering laugh and then a sigh.

"Ryuji, as much as I hate to admit it, those are a really good idea."

Ann gave Ryuji a playful punch on the arm that caused him to crack a slight smile.

"I told you they would work! It's cause the palace is based on perception right? So because they look so real the shadows will think it is!"

Morgana faced Ann with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course you were the one to figure it our Lady Ann! I should never have assumed Ryuji alone could have come up with something so brilliant!"

"Hey Cat! I'm right here ya know!"

"Oh I haven't forgotten."

"Why you stupid little-"

Makoto clapprd her hands together, the sharp sound thankfully enough to get them to cease their bickering.

"That's enough you two! If you're both going to come with us then we'll need to work as a team, you'll stay to the back while Morgana and I keep to the frontlines, am I clear?"

In unison they both stood up straighter and responded with a clear

"Yes ma'am!"

Makoto nodded, brushing a hair behind her ear as she spoke.

"Alright then, we shouldn't go into the metaverse here so get your things and we'll head to the alley in front of the school." 

Ann jumped up from her seat full of pep and flexed.

"Sounds good Miss.prez! I mean Makoto, Let's go!"

They all began gathering up their things while Makoto opened the window for Morgana to jump out, but when she turned back to him she found him nestling into her bag and giving a questioning look when she cocked an eyebrow.

"What? This'll just be easier so we can all travel together."

Makoto nodded and picked up the bag, finding it far heavier than she thought as she slung it over her shoulder and gave Morgana a cocked eyebrow and a smirk.

His ears flatted to his head and he responded with a slight glare.

"Don't you say anything. I'm a perfectly adequate weight, you just clearly need to do more arm excerises."

Shaking her head with a small smile, she looked to the others and saw they were ready, with that she opened the door and they all made their way to the alley.

Once there she pulled out her phone and was about to explain that this was how they got to the palace last time when Ryuji and Ann pulled out their own phones to show her that they also have the app.

"This is how we got there yeah?"

Makoto blinked for a moment, the knowledge that Igors gift had actually spread to her peers was quite shocking. It meant she had to be exceedingly careful in the future.

"Um, yes. But how did you?"

Ann shrugged while Ryuji ran a hand through his hair and spoke.

"Neither of us know, we both noticed we had it after we left the palace yesterday. If you guys didn't let us come then we were kind of banking on it being how we got there."

Makoto nodded, realizing just how truly commited they were to this.

"I see, well I'm glad were going in together then."

Ann chuckled then gave a heavy sigh as she grouped around the others.

"You and me both! Totally wasn't looking forward to going through that place wth just a pistol."

As makoto selected the app and was about to hit the travel history she paused, looking both ways down the alley causing Morgana to perk up.

"What is it?" 

"Last time we used the app it pulled in everyone close by."

The two blonds eyes widened in understanding as they scanned about too.

Content that nobody was nearby, Makoto hit the travel button and that sense of vertigo overtook her once more.

Ren amamiya slowly let out his breath from inside the nearby dumpster, it may have smelled like hell but it was the safest place to hide and when he heard Makoto talk about making sure nobody was around he held his breath and prayed that they wouldn't check the dumpster he was hiding in.

Last night, when he had realized that his actions were going to help in the real world but only make it difficult for the soon to be Phantom Thieves to cha ge Kamoshidas heart, he came upon this solution.

Once they landed he would slink off and move ahead, with him and Satanael being more than enough to clear out the threats that would be able to overpower his friends; and with his newly aquired silenced pistol, he was more than equiped to help fight from the shadows like he always knew he should have.

The sense of vertigo hit, and Ren could only grin as he felt his other half teem with excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants:  
> The Magician: Rank 1  
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> Back into the palace we go! Got this chalter written way faster than i expected so I hope you all enjoy it and where it's heading.
> 
> It may be a bit OOC but i'm quite happy with how i wrote Kawakami in this, she always struck me as someone that just rolls with the punches considering how fast she is to make a deal in the game.


	11. Something greater

"All right! Lets go shoot some shadows!" 

Ryuji did a stylish twirl of his pistol with his finger in trigger guard, or rather he attmpted a twirl as it only resulted in it slipping from his grasp and juggling it in the air for several moments which earned a snikering laugh from Ann, a dissapointed sigh from Morgana and a a disciplinary frown from Makoto that made him scratch his cheek with a sheepish grin.

"Heh, or maybe we can just take it slow and not get into too many fights."

Morgana shook his head as he took point, facing the group to address them all.

"So let me fill you all in on the plan. I explained before about changing hearts right? Well the way thats done is by taking the targets treasure! Something that is the root of all their distorted desires. Once we do that the shadow will leave causeing the palace to crumble and the palaces ruler will lose those distorted desires as well. I think."

Makoto, being the closest to him, was the only one that managed to hear that last bit it seemed.  
Ann and Ryuji muttered words of agreement and shrugged, while Makoto directed a knowing glare that he seemed to pick up as he nervously looked away.

"You don't know for certain do you."

Morgana, for as small as he already was, seemed to shrink by several inches.

"Um, well ya see… I've not tried it myself but-"

Ryuji,ever the dramatic, threw his hands in the hand at this news.

"What?! You mean we've put all we got on this and you don't even know!?"

"Hey! I do know! I've just never tested it myself is all but I'm certain It'll work!"

Ryuji seemed unconvinced what with his incredulous scoff as he folded his arms.  
Ann seemed hesitate to respond, looking anywhere but at Morgana as she mumbled.

"Well, he did a lot to help us so um, maybe..."

"Yeah but if he had just told us everything up front we could have done it!"

Ryuji was getting himself worked up now, more than Ann had seen from him in a while and whats worse was that  
Morgana was rising to it.  
With his brow furrowed he jabbed a paw in Ryuji's direction.

"You shut up you dumb monkey! Without me you would have never made it out of the castle to begin with!"

"Oh yeah? Well without us you would habe just been stuck in that cell where we found you! "

Morgana and Ryuji began to bicker, shouting over eachother as the unity quickly crumbled.  
Makoto realized she needed to do something, cohesion was spinning out and she couldn't deny that she also had her reservations about this plan now.  
Before she could get lost in her thoughts however, one voice seperate but similar to her own rose to the surface.

'How does one obtain true justice? Is it merely by following?'

The voice was accompanied by the distant rumble of an engine within her chest that drew forth her answer in her own words.

'No, It's by leading with your own example of what justice can be!'

Johanna stirred within her heart, content to have guided her other half where she was most needed.

Makoto's voice was clear enough to cut above the rabble.

"We need to go forward with this plan, Morgana is the one who has got us this far and was instrumental in saving all of us.  
We should repay that trust with our own right? If we work on this together, we'll all figure it out."

Her last few sentances were directed to her fellow teens, both of them looking sheepish for a moment before nodding then looking back to Morgana.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head, speaking out of the side of his mouth.

"Sorry cat, guess I shouldn't get on your case just cause you don't know everything. Hell we know even less."

Morgana's eye twitched for a moment before he gave a heavy sigh, letting his tension leave him.

"Not a cat! But, I shouldn't forget that I really would just be stuck in that cell right now if you guys hadn't come along. Even broke all my lock picks trying to get out."

Ann gave Ryuji a playful punch in The shoulder.

"And he saved me from falling to my doom! So don't you forget that." 

Ann turned to Morgana and gave him a sunny look.

"I haven't forgotten, and I'm sorry I didn't vouch for you this is just all so new! aaand confusing! and ya know how when you don't uh, know what you're know and then the doubts kind of snowball and uh-"

Morganas eyes went wide as he met her gaze, and kept Ann from rambling too much more as he dashed in front of her somehow already on one knee.

"Lady Ann, I do not blame you for your doubt. I only hope that I can prove my skill to you in this coming venture. Come! Our victory awaits!"

With a flourish he lept up on the grates edge, and ushered the others to follow suit.  
While Ryuji gave a boost for Ann to get through, Makoto could have sworn she saw something move out of the corner of her eye above the castles main gate.  
But when she looked back there was nothing there of the sort.

Shaking her head, attributing it only to nerves, she made her way into the palace determined to change Kamoshida's wretched heart.

Ren was crouched perfectly still just above the main gates frame, his brow furrowed in confusion after fumbling his acrobatic leap and grab in an attempt to bound up higher and grasp a recess in the wall.  
What was confusing him however was not his fumble, his rustiness in moving through the metaverse now perfectly clear, it was the fact that the fumble had drawn Makoto's attention her gaze right to him and she responded as if nothing was there at all.! 

His confusion cleared when he looked at his hands and saw the color and edges of them slowly fade back into view, but that only raised more questions!

'Um, Satanael I'm going to assume this is your doing somehow.'

His inner voice roused from their slumber with a chuckle.

'Far from it my trickster, it is the metaverse responding to your desires.  
You wished to fight unseen yes? To guard your allies from the darkness? This is this worlds answer to your wishes.' 

'So, you mean to tell me-'

Ren began his agile climb up the ramparts of the castle, deftly grabbing handhelds as he conversed with his inner self.

'- that when I was operating as a literal thief to steal hearts that the metaverse didn't respond to my need to be stealthy?'

Seeing an open window at the highest level but no other handhelds to get higher he lept from his perch to grasp the flagpole nearby, using his momentum to fling himself up and onto it's ledge. He noted with some distain that while he was able to grasp the ledge with his current strength he barely did so and it was deeply ungraceful.

'Are you telling me that that was truly your desire with how many unecessary flips you would do in combat alone?'

Ren hoisted himself up, just enough to peer both ways down the hall.  
Content that there was no patrol through here, at least not yet, he pulled himself up and out of the window into the castle proper.

He let loose a labored breath as he crept along the wall.

'Alright. You got me there Satanael.'

There was a rumbling laugh, and then a pensive hum from his persona.

'Glad we are in agreement. I think we also can agree that both of us are in need of some fine tuning.'

Ren paused around the corner as he heard the clanking of armor further down the hall; he could practically feel the near overwhelming power radiating off the approaching shadow.  
His actions against kamoshida truly had strengthened the enemies here, he'd need to get the upper hand.

Taking in his surroundings, he saw a path he could climb to make his way on top of the chandelier in the hall.  
As a small boost to his pride he was able to do so without issue, and found he now merely had to wait for the patroling gold armored guard.

'Well then partner -'

Ren reached into his coat and pulled forth his silenced pistol.

'- lets get back to work.'

There was a thundering roar of gleeful laughter from inside his mind as he fired a single silent round that tore the mask off the shadow causing the armored knights form to disolve meekly into a panicked looking Berith, the red eyes in it's helm frantically searching for an enemy.

In Rens other hand a long elegent dagger appeared in a flash of blue flame, and from the darkness above he lept upon his foe with no mercy.

Makoto was doing her best to be stealthy. She truly was.  
Ryuji and Ann were not far behind, allowing Morgana and her to creep up behind the shadow undetected; he informed her that the best way to take it out would be to tear off it's mask from behind and she agreed as she visualized it in her mind.

So how she wound up in a situation again where it somehow spotted her the moment she broke cover was beyond even her.  
The fact that the only reason they didn't stealth past this particular shadow was because Makoto said that it felt weak was just insult to injury.

The armored knights eyes flared red as it charged and on instinct she whirled around to deliver a crescent kick that sent it colliding with the wall, just barely missing where Morgana had been hiding.  
He sent her a panicked look and her combat stance faltered as she mouthed an apology to him.

Suddenly the knight convulsed, forcing them both to ready themselves for attack as it disolved into a black puddle that burst to reveal a small looking woman in a blue leotard and stockings with red hair, pointed ears and fluttering butterfly wings whos face was currently scrunched up in irritation

"Intruders! How dare you come into King Kamoshida's castle uninvited!"

The pixie uncrossed her arms to reveal crackling gold energy gathered between them, she thrust her hands outward and a whizing bolt of lightning flew their way with a shout of  
"Zio!"

Makoto wasn't sure if it was her new Third eye or her newfound agility in this place but she was able to dodge out of the way in time along with Morgana who looked extremely panicked at the presence of lightning.

"Don't let it hit me with that!"

He shouted her way and she nodded, 'lets give it a target then' she thought.

"Johanna!"

With a mighty roar her seat of justice materalized beneath her and she kicked it into high gear as she drove right towards it.

Smirking, tbe pixie simply flew up into the air before she reached it, just as Makoto wanted as the cycle jumped up onto the walls long enough for her to leap off and deliver a vicious punch to the suddenly shocked pixie.

As she landed she had turned expecting it to have simply vanished into black mist. But it simply hung there in the air, spinning dizzily.

Morgana apppeared at her side, smirking as he pulled forth a slingshot in a burst of blue flame. 

"You gotta hit em with something they're weak to if you wanna bring em down!"

The metal ball loosed from the sling and pinged off the pixies temple just as it was getting it's bearings.

It weakly fluttered to the ground as Morgana shouted out a command.

"Now!" 

Ann and Ryuji appeared from their hiding spots,guns raised and pinning the Pixie in as Makoto and Morgana closed around it.

Their cat like guide turned to Makoto with a broad grin.

"Nows the best part! When you knock em down like this you can shake em down for all their money or finish em off with an all out attack!"

That earned quite the response from all three of the money stressed teens with Ryuji shouting his enjoyment.

"What!? You tellin me we can get cold hard cash from these guys?!"

As Morgana stretched back his newly loaded slingshot he gave an affirmative nod and smile.

Ryuji pointed his pistol with more force than before or at least he thought he did, muttering beneath his breath.

"Shit, might just have to quit the Beef bowl gig…"

Despite the situation the Pixie still had enough energy to insult them all with a special kind of vigor.

"What the hell was that for! You're nothing but stupid thugs ya big jerks!"

Makoto swallowed hard, suddenly feeling wrong about this sitatuion the more it talked.  
She gave a worried glance to Morgana who thankfully picked up on her feeling.

"Don't worry! It's just a shadow, only a piece of cognition that is like this because of the palace.  
Nothing about it is real I promise you."

Relieved she pounded her spiked fists together as she stepped up to it.

"H-hand over all your money! Or uh, or else you'll face my fist of justice!"

'I god why did I say that'

Ann looked like she was stifling a laugh with how red she was getting, while Ryuji flashed her a rocker sign and an encouraging grin as he backed her up.

"Hell yeah! You're in for a world of pain!"

The pixie crossed her arms and poutrd, deigning to not even look their direction.

"Hmph! Fine, not like I get treated well enough by the King anyhow with him always leering at us!" 

The Pixie tossed what looked like 700 or so yen out towards them that caused Ryuji to visibly deflate while aiming his gun.

"Aw man fo' real? That's it?"

The Pixie turned to him with a furious glare, lightning crackling around her irises.

"Baka! How much do you think we get paid!?"

There was a peculiar sensation prickling at the back of Makoto's mind as she recalled the words of the contract she signed-  
.. will forge any pact I must to stop the coming ruin..  
-suddenly an idea rocketed to the forefront of her mind and her mouth spoke before she even fully realized it.

"Sounds like an abusive relationship, why don't you leave him?"

The pixie turned to her when Makoto spoke, the anger gone and replaced with a light blush as a pensive look crossed her face.

"Hmm, ya know you may be right. Maybe I should, whoa!"

The pixie was suddenly enveloped in a sparkling array of light particles as she slowly rose into the air.

"Hey! I remember now! I don't belong to some king! I drift the sea of human souls, from now on my mask resides within you."

The pixies form collapsed into a ball of light that shot right at Makoto, colliding wth her mask but seemingly did nothing else.

"W-what just happened?! Are you okay Makoto?"

She checked herself over and found no injuries, curious she looked to Morgana for answers but he looked just as stunned.

"Don't look at me! I've seen a lot but that's never happened; all I've been able to do was shake em down for money or information." 

Before any more questions could be uttered they all turned to the sound of shouting guards.

"Hey! Did you hear? Theres a disturbance on the top floor!

"What!? By King Kamoshida this will not stand!"

The sudden clanking signaled for them all to hide as two gold armored knights came clanking down the hallway. 

After a moment they all peaked their heads out of their hiding places, and once out it became apparent just how much of a hurry the guards were in as it seemed Ryuji's chosen hiding space was to press himself flat against a painting and mime the position of the figure in said painting.  
Judging by how red his face was and the amount of sweat pouring down it he too realized just how lucky he had gotten.  
Makoto and Morgana gave a nod to eachother and then the others, signalling to press on and find somewhere safe if they wanted to talk.

"Y-you bastard! You'll never get away with defying ki-!

Ren let loose one more bullet, snapping the head of the red aura wreathed Archangel back before it vanished into a puff of black smoke.  
He had been slowly working his way down the palace, taking out any of the shadows that he deemed abnormally powerful for the palace and there were a few. 

That particular one was in fact guarding a safe space in cognition that his friends would need and could have been a problem if it weren't for Satanael's powerful curse spells which were still in tip top shape. 

'You say you're rusty Satanael but I think you're just sad you're not the size of a skyscrapper anymore.'

'Would you wish me to be? I obtained that power after you broke the chains of your heart, sacrificing yourself and all you knew in the process. If I could obtain such power once more, would you wield it as you once did?'

That actually gave Ren pause as he sat in the rafters over the main hall. Leave it to his inner self to take a joke and make it a serious discussion.

'It killed me didn't it? Wielding that power without the belief of the masses. But it wasn't just me was it.'

'The time you came from was wrent asunder, just as you were. It's final vestiges channeled into our heart and mind and you wielded my will to forge a world that could have been with you free of the Demiurges yoke of control.'

Ren gripped the ledge he was on tighter, his body suddenly feeling heavy as he realized that this wasn't some alternate timeline he went to, that it was a world that he created in that moment of defiance.

'….I will ask again my trickster, would you wield that power once more?'

Ren swallowed and steadied himself with a deep breath, it was an easy answer really.

'No. No I don't think I could. I don't think I'd even want to.'

'Then it is good we never can again. Such power came with a tremendous price, and it is good to know you would not pay the toll a second time'

Ren sat in silence for a moment, taking in all that he had just learned. Information he apparently knew along, he just needed to ask the right questions.

'…yeah but do you miss being that big though?'

'For a moment it was as if I was in Heaven once more, shooting my would be father in the face. It was rather amazing wasn't it?' 

Ren allowed himself a smile, taking at least one good thing from the jumble of memories of his last go around.

'Heh, yeah partner, it sure was.'

"This is amazing! I've never seen anything like it!"

Morgana was animately waving his arms around in front of Makoto who had just absorbed yet another shadow into her mask.  
This time it was a small blue imp in a jar called Agathion, and yet again she seemed to know just what to say to it to allow this strange phenomenon to happen.

It felt so unbelieveably strange to Makoto, she could feel the presence of these shadows turned personas within her heart but the presence was different from how Johanna felt; it was as if they subdued unless called upon where Johanna felt like she was just beneath the surface.

It was when the others were begining to give her worried looks that she realized she had been standing still and simply thinking for quite some time.

"Oh! I'm sorry, was just lost in thought thinking about how this all feels. Not nearly as strange as I thought it would."

There were multiple sighs of relief as she spoke.

"Aw geez, thought that jar hit you harder than I thought!"

As if Ryuji was summoning the pain Makoto flinched as she recalled the way it's zio felt when it struck her in the side, but now it was hers to wield and would be a powerful ally. 

Mogana gave her a sympathetic look as he summoned Zorro.

"Dia!"

As zorro faded the pain lessened but didn't fully disapate.

"Thanks again for pushing me out of the way of that, was a lot faster than I thought heh."

Makoto smiled as they walked further down the hall, having scouted a room that seemed to be safe ahead before that shadow jumped them they could finally take a moment to catch their breath.

"It's alright Morgana, I know you would do the same for me if we, um, you told me Johanna is the nuclear element right? I'm assuming that makes me weak to something."

Opening the doors reavealed, just for a moment, what looked like the faculty office before it became a gaudy well furnished sitting room once more.  
Hoping up on the table to take a breather Morgana seemed to genuinely take a moment to think.

"Hmmm, I think Nuclear was weak to psychokinesis?" 

The knowledge that paychokinese existed was certainly an eye opeer for Makoto, though she seemed to be the only one that cared as her fellow teens slumped onto the red velvet couch.

She tapped a finger to her chin before she next spoke.

"Morgana, we seem to be making excellent time through here so if you don't mind I would love if you could explain to me the different elemental affinities of the shadows; since I can wield multiple shadows it means I have just as many weaknesses as I have strengths."

Morgana's tail swished happily at the chance to impart knowledge.

"It would be my pleasure! Now you have simple things like cold being weak to fire, then theres thing like muclear which are more complex and…."

A vigorous note taking session soon took place as Makoto seemed to will into existance her notbook and pen.  
She was stunned for a moment before Morgana also explained that because of their rebellious will cognition bends for them a bit, responding to their desires in specific ways, like how he kept his scimitar and slimgshot on him desite only wearing a belt, scarf and mask.

She filled in much on elemental weaknesses and was brimming with questions until she heard Ryuji and Ann groan in boredom.

With a small smile tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. 

"We can discuss this more on this later Morgana, once we find our route to the treasure."

Ryuji let loose several pops from his back as he got up and stretched.

"Ugh finally! No offense but that was getting old real quick. Also, next time we come in here we have gotta bring more food other than granola bars. Ann's practially losing it without something sweet."

He jabbed a thumb behind him, where Ann sat on the couch practically with tears in her eyes and a perpetual frown as she slowly munched on a oat and raisin bar.

Morgana tapped Makoto's sleeve to get her attention.

"It might be a good idea to get a stock of medicine for next time too, relyingnon our healing spells will only leave us drained."  
She nodded in agreement before her gaze was pulled back to Ann looking like a sad kitten and it nearly broke her heart.  
Suddenly aware of people looking at her Ann stuffed the remained of the bar into her mouth and with surprising vigor chewed and swallowed it all down with an angry expression, then she went right back to her typical chipper self.

"Bleh, hehe sorry about that! I'm all ready to go!"

Makoto went over and gave Ann a small hug which the blonde melted into, she whispered a promise of whatever sweet she liked after this.

Ann playfully pushed her away with a laugh.

"Oh haha, I'm not a kid to be bribed with treats ya know!"

After a moment, Ann leaned in close and whispered.

"But if you wanna go for some double chocolate crepes after this I will totally be down."

Makoto actually giggled at that before she leaned in herself.

"I've never actually had a crepe before Ann."

Suddenly Ann was shocked back, staring at her new friend with wide eyes and an open mouth before she composed herself, hands raising up and then down as if she was pushing the thoughts themselves away.

"Okay. Thats what's happening after this. Mmmhmm yep! Crepe date, you me and shiho. It's happening!" 

With a gentle laugh from all of the group they made their way out of the safe room, with Morgana scouting ahead and Makoto close behind.

The area ahead looked to be the entryway to the castle itself, it was suspiciously empty much to her disatisfaction.

Morgana signaled for Makoto to join him and she in turn signaled for Ann and Ryuji to hang back until notice.

Once there she spoke in hushed tones to their guide.

"Something about this feel wrong to you?"

Morgana nodded but still looked pensive.

"Yeah but I'm not sure, security seems to be lax here with them moving a lot of guards upstairs with that disturbance they were talking about."

"Right, but we still haven't learned what that was either." 

"Hmmm, maybe it's a cognition of whatever it is thats upset him in the real world? Regardless I'm still sensing the treasure upstairs and our only path forward is through that hall on the otherside."

He looked to Makoto with determination.

"we'll just have to be cautious, let's move up along the wall two at a time."

The Morgan crept back, let the blonds know what the plan was the snuck back and gave Makoto the nod to continue.  
Slowly they made their way around the pillars of the entryway, avoiding lines of sight.  
That was until the front doors burst open, numerous knights swarming into to surround the two thieves and cut off their escape, then a maniacal laughter echoed through the hall.

Up on the bannister, wearing not but a pink speedo and red velvet heart stamped cloak was none other than the king of this castle, Kamoshida.

He grinned down at them in triumph, but his eyes narrowed in hatred.

"So, you rats think you can scurry around my castle without consequence do you? Well I may not know how or why you idiots worked yourself down from the top floors to here but hey I won't deny a gift when it falls into my lap."

He pushed the fake Ann aside as he gripped the bannister with knuckles of barely contained fury.

"Now, tell me what you did with my files and who put you up to it and I might just let you live as my pets!" 

The fear and panic Makoto felt was momentarily replaced by confusion as she looked up at Kamoshida.  
But while she had no words for the monster Morgana was of a diffrent mind.

"We don't know what you're talking you stupid king! We haven't taken anything from you! But you can be sure we'll steal thise distorted de-ugh!"

Kamoshida raised a hand and the knights brought their shields to bear and slammed them both into the ground the threat and the kings waning patience made clear.

"So you're foolish enough to not only steal from me, your king, but blackmail me and lie about it to my face!? Your executions will be swift!"

In unison the guards burst into great horned knights riding immense warhorses with blood red eyes, their spears raised as one to strike before a series of gunshots rang out.

Ann and Ryuji watched from afar, the fear on their faces as the both panicked over what to do.

"We have to go out there! They're gonna die if we don't do something"

"Ryuji we'll die if we go out there! I-I'm sure they can figure some way out of this!" 

As Kamoshida's voice echoed through the chamber Ryuji looked at the gun in his hand, and recalling words spoken to him not too long ago, he knew what he had to do.

He looked over and saw Ann biting her nails, a habit she worked so hard to break. Just another thing this bastard had ruined however small.

Before Ann could process it she felt Ryuji's arms wrap tight around her for a moment, he pulled back and gave her a kind smile.

Ann felt the tears build in her eyes, speaking softly.

"Ryuji?" 

As quickly as he hugged her he let her go, and dashed forward down the hall.

"Ryuji!!" 

Unconciously she charged after him and then for Ann Takamaki, the world began to still and color faded as a voice rang out in her mind.

'Is this truly all you can do?'

Ryuji rushed out, dread filling his heart as he saw the spears raise over his friends.

'Hot shit he has friends!'

But there was no time to think anymore on that, he raised his gun to Kamoshida and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, three times.  
Each squeeze of the trigger sending the recoil back into his teeth and behind the eyes he didn't realize he shut.

He opened them the moment he heard that terrible noise that reminded him of that day in the locker room all over again, he looked to where he shot and saw only Kamoshida staring down at him, laughing.  
He had missed, every shot he took he missed. 

"What a useless pathetic wimp you are! You had everything! Surprise, a clear shot, and you missed just like you did when you took your swing at me all that time ago!  
Well look where it got you! A broken leg and a ruined future, and now you'll have no future at-gahh!!"

Another gunshot rang out, blowing out Kamoshida's left knee and causing him to topple over.

Panic overtook the guards, some now charging to where Ryuji was with his gun still raised..

"You don't get to look at me with that goddamn smile on your on your face!"

The world was tipped into greyscale where all things froze.  
Looking around he saw the guards that were bearing down on Makoto and Morgana, the guards that were also now bearing down on him.  
He also saw the long spear that was thrown right for his heart and jumped back when he realized it was mere inches from it's goal but had stayed It's flight in this cold grey world.

"You kept me waiting for quite a while"

His eyes went wide at the voice, turning around he saw Ann frozen too, on her knees and clutching her head.  
Beside her, he saw himself materalize.  
Same school uniform, same novelty tee, same spiked blond hair.  
The only differences were the broad grin this reflection wore, and their piercing golden eyes.

His other self circled around him, watching him closely.

"I've been crying out ya know? Begging you to let me loose. But you buried me long ago. When he-"

He jabbed an accusatory finger at Kamoshida and Ryuji felt himself mirror it with the same intensity.

"- robbed you of our future. You thought to strike back, find some way to get him, but then your fathers debts fell into your mothers lap, and Kamoshida reminded you what happens if you fuck with him."

Ryuji could practically feel his teeth shake from how hard he clentched his jaw, and seeing it only seemed to spur this other half of him further.

Suddenly his shadow was inches from his face, yes wide and jaw set in manic fury.

"Your name has been disgraced! So whats the harm anymore huh? Why not hoist the flag and-"

As he spoke Ryuji could feel a heat welling within him, something began to burn upon his face with such clear utter agony but he found himself smiling through the pain.

His shadow's expression now mirrored his own.

"-raise a little havoc."

Ryuji reached up, numb fingers grapsing at searing metal, and he pulled.  
What was once indestructable became brittle in his grasp.

His other self was gone, but his voice still echoed in his mind,

"I AM THOU, THOU ART I"

The whisper of lightning filled the air.

Ann stared on at the frozen world befre her, unable to help or free her friends old and new from this place.

"I'm waiting for my answer" 

The voice came from beside her, a perfect replica of herself stared at her save for those haunting golden eyes; her chin resting in her hand and she gave Ann a look you'd give to something pathetic struggling desperately despite it all.  
The figure tsked before walking around her.

"You tried to let him have his way, you trusted this man to keep his word."

Ann felt her gaze drift to match her shadows, to where Kamoshida was frozen in laughter and glaring down at Ryuji.

"And he tore open not just your pretty little heart-

She felt this reflection of herself wrap her arms around her from behind, one hand trailing a nail down her throat before settling her clasped hands over her heart..

"- but he tore into hers as well. If you won't take vengeance for her,who will?"

A heat unlike any other roiled within her chest; something cold rested on her face, something she'd wanted before but she was done with now and her fingers itched to pull and tear it to pieces.

The arms that seemed to threaten her now held her in a gentle embrace, her voice once full of blistering cruelty, was now a warming balm.

"You see? Nothing can be gained from restraining yourself.

Ann's fingers grasped the edges of something icy and once untouchable, but it melted neath her touch as she pulled.

Her other selfs touch faded but their voiced rippled through her mind.

"I AM THOU, THOU ART I"

The roar of flame consumed the world.

There was a thundering crack and a blistering wind that sent shadows, weapons and burnt stone scattering across the hall.  
Makoto and Morgana were just barely able to take cover from the barrage of flame and sparks by diving behind the pillars nearby.

"Whoa! Makoto you gotta see this!"

When she peeked her head out she could just barely make out the shapes of two figures amidst the smoke and then two flashes of rainbow colored light surrounded them before one of the figures lept into the air with a warcry.

"Wassap persona! Blast em away, captain kidd!"

Ryuji leapt above the smoke ,clad in rough leathers with a red neckerchief and an iron skull mask and grinning wildly as behind him a pirate ship formed with it's own skeletal captain riding it.

Captain Kidd raised the cannon that made up it's right arm and let loose a devestating bolt of lightning ditected right where Kamoshida stood.

As Ryuji fell he let loose a frustrated "damn it!"  
His shot had struck it's mark, reducing the wood and stone of the bannister to not but splinters and rubble, but Kamoshida had surprised him by running away.  
He gave panicked orders to his guards to slay the intruders as he made his cowardly escape.

What shadows remained rushed to where Makoto and Morgana were hiding, but as she Called Johanna beneath her so they could make a gettaway she heard another voice cut through the air with fierce determination.

"Dance Carmen!"

A wall of fire roared to life between Makoto and the approaching shadows as Ann strode through the smoke, wearing a deep red buttoned up peacoat with a black silk sash that trailed behind her dramatically.  
Behind her a red skinned woman with a dangerous smirk and a flowing red and black flaminco dress whirled the flames to greater fury an scortched the charging knights.

In her bright pink leather clad hands she wielded a long dangerous looking whip that she cracked through the air, ensnareing the legs of the closest knights steed that avoided the flames and dragged it to the ground with a pained cry.  
On her face above Ann's gleeful grin was a red mask made to resemble a cats ears and eyes, and Makoto couldn't help but share her enthusiasm as Johanna let loose a brilliant display of nuclear magic to blast the shadows surrounding them back through the flames and Morgana summoned Zorros wind to whirl he flames into a dazzling tornado of cinder and death.

More guards began to funnel into the hall however and while the newly formed Captain Kidd and Carmen were making grand shows of their power while their users made their way to the entrance the numbers were quickly tipping this out our of their favor.  
Once Ryuji and Ann were close enough for her liking they all shared an affirmative nod.

"Come on!" 

Makoto grabbed Morgana and lifted his small frame with a catlike cry onto her cycle as she revved the engine and drove it right into the burning wooden entry doors, blasting them outward in a shower of flaming splinters.

Behind her Ryuji and Ann were in a dead sprint to outrun the guards but they both stopped at pivoted in unison at the drawbridge as behind them their personas formed once agai to show their strength.

With a bolt of lightning and a pillar of white hot flame the remaining entryway was collapsed onto the pursueing guards and a deathly stillness took hold only broken by labored breathing.

"Effin sweet! We! Did! That!  
High fives everyone!" 

Ryuji flashed an enthusistic smile to the group as he raised both hands in the air towards them.

'This is my first ever high five'  
Makoto thought, then overthought.  
'Aim for the elbow, not too hard or fast, just like I researched.'

She was broken out of her thoughts before she could make real this old small hope of hers as Ryuji's masks vanished in a burst of blue flame and he wobbled dangerously.

She dashed over to catch Ryuji before he fell, proping him up up on her shoulder but her concern gree as he let out a small pained squeak.

Frantically her eyes scanned him over for injury that could have gone unoticed in all the adreneline but as he raised his slightly teary eyes to her he gave her a quiet whisper  
"Makoto, thanks and all but, your shoulder…ow"

Confusion crossed her face for a moment before she recalled how her shoulders were in fact tipped with ver sharp spikes and she jumped back to let him stand on his own, a embarrssment clear on her fece even as he rolled his arm and held his side to give her a small thumbs up.

Ann strolled up alongside him, placing an arm on his shoulder and shaking him with vigor.

"Ahhh! I can't believe we did all that! And we look so cool now that we have personas! And we, oh sorry."

Ryuji gave her a desperate look she had seen plenty of times that read as  
"How do you have this much energy?"  
And she stepped back with a smirk.

Morgana cleared his throat, attempting to keep his excitement from showing too much as he spoke.

"Well, while we didn't find the route to the treasure I'd say this trip was a resounding success gang!" 

His enthusiam was echoed by Ann and she gave a small jump of joy.

"Yeah! I can't believe we both have personas now! IT'S GONNA BE..so much…..oooh boyyy"

It was Ryuji's turn to help steady his friend as her mask vanished in flame as well and the exhaustion of the awakening caught up with her.

Makoto gave a small smile as Ryuji shook his head with a smile of his own, she pushed what excitment she felt away for now before she next spoke to them all.

"As much as I would like to celebrate, we need to get back to the real world for the day."

As all four of the thieves made their way to the horizon to exit rhis strange world, they all failed to notice the white masked figure that sat high on the ramparts of the castle, watching his friends take their first steps to something greater than they could possibly know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants  
> The Magician: Rank 1  
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> I'm not sure why but I'm really proud of this chapter, think I just nailed how I wanted to have the dialogue come across which was orginally quite difficult for me.
> 
> Anyway lots of changes from the norm in this chapter! Dual awakenings, Ryuji was the one who stood up to Kamoshida in defiance of what he was doing to him and Ann was the one who rushed in to save her friends.  
> And we also had Makoto's first leader moment! 
> 
> And yes I changed Ann's thief outfit, I hate the original design as I felt like it did a diservice to the character and was just for fan service so I took inspiration from when Ann talks about her idea of a rebel in the game and landed on something resembelimg Carmen Sandiego for her outfit in this story.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'm truly greatful for every hit, ever kudos and every comment left on this fic it really means a lot.


	12. In this together

4/12-Tuesday, Student council room, Shujin Academy

Coming back into the student council room from the Metaverse was like a breath of fresh air to Makoto, and it even surprised her that just under an hour had passed while they were in the palace but you wouldn't be able to tell it and the exhausted teens in front of her. 

All save Ryuji oddly enough as he gently placed Ann into a chair.  
He stared at his friend for a moment, eyes hard and clearly mulling something over but before she could ask him what was going through his head he turned his gaze to her and spoke.

"Hey, before we got these Personas, I wanted to help but I still felt like I was just gonna hold you all back."

From her chair Ann was stirred by his words and gave a sorrowful nod and spoke of how she felt she would do the same as she looked at Makoto.  
The two blonds eyes met, and they both nodded as some unspoken form of agreement passed between them.

"But now. Now we can fight! And we can protect eachother!."

Ann rose to her feet, smiling at both of them as he continued.

"We can help make a difference here, and I won't back down from it!"

He extended his arm between the two of them with a grin, closed fist in the middle of the table 

"So I say we make a deal, here and now to see this bastard finished, to protect eachother and fight together." 

Ann rested her own hand ontop of his, mustering enough energy to offer her own speech as looked Makoto's way.

"You helped us so much, you saved Ryuji and Morgana you saved me so let us help protect you both now okay?"

Makotos smile was soft and sincere, feeling genuine pride and happiness in this moment like she hadn't ever felt before.  
She placed her own hand in the middle atop the others, and helped Morgana up to place his paw with a giggle when it became apparent he couldn't reach.

"Then we're in this together and we'll see it through! Deal?"

With a unanimous shout of "Deal!' they flung their hands into the air and Makoto felt the world still for a moment as that voice filled her mind once more.

'I am thou... Thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a new vow...  
It shall become the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.  
With the birth of the Chariot and the Lovers Personas  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that  
shall lead to freedom and new power'

Morgana gave a haughty laugh as the world filled back in for Makoto and all eyes fell on him as he dropped onto the table somehow even able to smirk while in the guise of a cat.

"I'll make fine thieves out of you all yet! But if you're all really gonna commit to seeing this through, then you'll need some codenames like a true gang of thieves!"

They bantered back and forth for moments more, the codenames they selected largely based on what their masks reprsented; settling on skull for Ryuji and Panther for Ann, aside from Morgana who went with Mona the moment Ann had suggested it.  
But when it came to her it gave them pause; Ryuji's suggestion of "shoulder pads" made her flush with embaressment at what happened earlier so that was out and Ann had suggested "Fixer" but it reminded her too much of a criminal mastermind which she was emphatic that she was not.  
With nothing else coming to mind she agreed with Morgana to hold off on it until the next infiltration as they needed a day to prepare before they dove back in.  
With the resolution they made here everyone knew they were all in this together and they all went their seperate ways to preapre for the next bout of thievery.

4/12-Tuesday, after school, Shujin Academy hallway

Ryuji was feeling strangely awake after exiting the metaverse; Ann who was practically half dead at this point, waved him goodbye on her way to the trains after he said he was gonna stay out for a bit before heading home.

He leaned against the wall by the stairs, watching the homeroom door as the students flooded out for someone in particular.  
Someone who's words had rung in his head as he awoke his spirt of rebellion, someone who's full story he hadn't even heard yet and he aimed to fix that today if possible.

The fluffy mess of black hair stood out among the rest of the students, if only cause Ryuji realized just how tall the boy was compared to everyone else as he waved him over.

"Hey Ren! Come 'ere a minute."

Several students parted around, exchanging wary looks between eachother and Ren as he shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way over with a smirk.

"Hey Ryuji, whats up?"

The simple act of familiarity between the two sent a whisper among the student body as the rumor mill began to churn.

'See? I knew he was up to know good if he already knows Sakamoto.'

'No doubt they're in a gang together.'

Ryuji grit his teeth as he heard the rumors already being tossed around, and was honestly surprised when he saw that Ren was unphased.

"You hungry man? Figure you wanna get out of here with all of that-"

He gestured to all the people still staring at them, and shook his head when they all flinched and began to scurry as Ren looked their way.

"-goin on around ya. Know a pretty good place to get some grub if you wanna join me."

Ren pressed two fingers along the side of his head in a motion that made Ryuji think he was pushing up some non existent glasses, and when Ryuji quirked an eyebrow he saw him shake his head for a moment before smiling his way.

"Yeah I could eat, thanks for the invite. Don't worry I can cover for myself."

"Nahh no worries man this place gives me a discount so it's all good, come on."

Ryuji made a motion for the fluffy haired delinquent to follow him down the stairs as they made their way to the trains.

The train ride to Shibuya itself had been a good chance for Ryuji to ask Ren how he was dealing with all the  
People talking about him and Ren had said simply that he did his best to shrug it off, that some were even making him laugh.

"I mean I joked about the elephant tusk smuggling but I guess I just manifested it. Still though I'm always wondering where people get these ideas." 

Rens phone began to ring, and his eyes went wide as he saw Iwai's number.

"Sorry man I gotta take this."

"No sweat dude."

He accepted the call, and the brief silence on the other end send his heart rate up to the heavens before he heard his uncles voice.

"..Hey kid. Sorry abut dropping that on you when you came to see me."

"No problem Iwai, I knew what to do."

"Heh, figured you would as much. Listen I'm busy today, but come by the shop after school tomorrow alright? I'll explain it all as best I can. I gotta go so, take care of yourself Renren."

Before Ren could offer a goodbye the line went dead, and remembering where he was prevented himself from frowning in thought leat it bring up unecessary questions.

"Sorry about that, was just my uncle asking me to come by his shop tomorrow."

"No biggie man, sooooo-"

Ryuji's eyes suddenly took on a mischieveous glint as he grinned.

"Renren huh? Fo'real I didn't mean to eavesdrop that was just all I heard." 

Ren gave a hard sigh as he realized Iwai's special nickname had gotten out but was saved from explaining when the announcer came on.

"Would you look at that it's our stop! Lets hurry and never talk about this again eh?

Ryuji nodded along but that damned mischief in his eyes told Ren all he needed to know as they made their way to an early dinner.

"I'm getting you the extra large beef bowl, no offense man but you look like you could use it." 

"Normally Ryuji I would turn you down but I had to scarf down my curry this morning so you read me right."

Ryuji turned to him in his seat at the beef bowl shop counter, his face screwed up in bewliderment and disgust.

"Duuude, curry? For breakfast?! I don't know if I can get behind that."

Ren merely shook his head, a knowing smirk on his face as he spoke.

"Sakura-san is a master when it comes to it. All I'll say is don't knock it till you try it, and that it pairs wonderfully wih his coffee."

Ryuji nodded along but his expression revealed that he was unconvinced.

"I don't know dude, I'm not a fan of coffee anyhow so I'll have to take your word on it. But we have bigger concerns right now!"

Ryuji was practically salivating as he saw the server with their beef bowls approach and set them down.

"Ahh noice! Thanks Ilda" 

He reaches out and fist bumps the server who afterwards pushes up their glasses to cause a sheen over them as he nodded.

"Anytime my man, take it you're coming in for your shift?"

Ren began to eat as Ryuji talked with the server to confirm he was coming in, taking note that this Ryuji aparently had a part time job here. 

He paused mid bite, memories of his talk with Satanael reminding him that there actually was no other Ryuji, not anymore, and that this person beside him still had all that potential to be his friend and that he wasn't doing himself any favors holding onto that thought. But it still pulled at him in a way that made him grimace.

"Whats up man? Something wrong?"

Ryuji's sudden concerned exression snapped him out of his funk, pausing for a moment he tried to not make the situation awkward.

"I uh, Just realized I forgot the pickled red ginger." 

As he reached out to the pot of the ginger in question he gave a mental sigh of relief when Ryuji's expression turned from concerned to a large grin as he himself loaded up his beef bowl.

"Alright man! Finally somebody else that gets what every beef bowl needs.  
Ann won't touch the stuff whenever she comes here."

Halfway through their meals Ren could tell something was on his friends mind; even if he didn't have prior knowledge of this event Ryuji always wore his heart on his sleeve so before he tortured himself with the question any longer he broached the subject after his next bite.

"So Ryuji, I get the feeling you want to ask me something and I have a feeling what.

Ryuji's shoulders slumped, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at Ren.

"For real? Guess Ann's right I am easy to read. Well, yeah man but you probably have had way too many people in your business as is and I don't want to-"

"Ryuji, it's fine really. I may not look it but I'm an open book and I don't mind talking about what it is you wanna ask."

Ryuji blinked hard for a moment, taken aback by Ren's sincerity.

"Alright man well, if you're gonna tell me about your shit then I'll tell you about mine. Only seems fair so,Deal?"

Ren laughed and nodded, setting his bowl down as he prepared to tell his story. 

"Deal, now First things first I wasn't liked a lot back in Nikko so when things went bad for me there it was pretty much a guarentee people would assume the worst-"

Ren told his story, earning more than a few heated looks from Ryuji as he explained the situation with the drunk man and the coerced woman; but when he had finished his friend confirmed he was still exactly who Ren knew him to be when he clasped his hand on his shoulder and told him he would always have his back, and to hell with anyone who thought he was some thug.

Ren made sure to give the same respect when Ryuji confided in him his own woes and what got him labeled a dilinquent; the situation with Kamoshida was mostly the same as Ren had recalled save for the fact that he whiffed his swing against Kamoshida, but his expression soured when Ryuji told him of what happened after Kamoshida broke his leg.

"-apparently it wasn't enough for him to ruin the track team and all our futures, when I came back to school I made the mistake of telling him off, felt like there was nothing else he could do to me so why the hell not right? Well, when I got home that day there were a bunch of guys in suits leaving the apartment, and when I came inside I saw my mom there with a busted lip and a black eye.

Ryuji paused for a moment, taking the time to finish the last of his beef bowl to calm himself before continuing.

"She told me that they were debt collectors, and that apparently my shitty old mans debt had fallen to her now so she needed to pick up another job.  
The next day at school, Kamoshida called me to his office and asked me how my mom was doing.  
I feel so ashamed that I didn't take another swing at him then and there, when he had that shit eating grin on his face as he asked how she was doing with money."

For the entire story Ryuji had kept his gaze ahead of him, either focusing on his food or at the wall.  
But when he turned to look at Ren it was with a fierceness that surprised him.

"That was when I learned what happens when you fuck with Kamoshida, and it was why I stopped you from speaking up when Ann got into his car the other day."

Ryuji's hands balled into fists on the counter, knuckles growing white as he struggled with his many thoughts.

Ren put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently as he spoke in soothing tones.

"Just breathe buddy, breathe. Trsut me when K say that I k ow what you're struggling with. Now, I know I haven't known you long but I can tell you that you're different than you were that day."

Ryuji took two deep breathes, slowly unclenching his hands as he looked at Ren with wide eyes.

"Wait what? How would you even, I-I am?"

"Yes. I may not know all the specifics of what was going on with her but whats hurting you now is that you didn't stop it am I right?"

Ryuji nodded meekly, gaze falling into his lap, Ren knew the look of someone torturing themselves with their own thoughts well so he pressed on.

"But I can tell you're different now cause while you didn't stop it then, I know you would now. And that's what matters.  
You can't just fight people like that, you gotta-"

Ryuji looked up with a large grin, and for a moment Ren was saw only Skull in that expression.

"-raise a little havoc?"

"Heh, yeah exactly. Guessin you took my words to heart amd raised a little of your own eh?"

Ryuji rolled his shoulders, his grin not yet faded as he recalled the way awakening to Captain kid felt, and was surprised by how full of energy he qas even now.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I uh, can't really get into it though man um, sorry.

As Ren merely nodded and finished his meal, offering a look that said simply, "no worries" Ryuji continued. 

"I also took your advice and put some trust in Miss.prez, she's pretty badass and if anybody can help take Kamoshida down it'll be her."

Ren had gotten up to grab his bag, smiling at Ryuji as he did the same and they made their way out of the eatery.

"You got no idea how happy that makes me to hear. Thought I was gonna have to do something drastic with his situation on my own."

"Heh ya know Renren, before you told me all that stuff I didn't think you would do anything too insane but now I know I'd be the idiot everyone thinks I am if I undestimate you."

"Thanks, and I know you're not an idiot Ryuji.  
Also you're not letting that go are you?" 

"Oh hell no Renren."

4/12-Tuesday, after school, Niijima residence

As Makoto thanked Igor or whatever beings were watching that she had managed to get a seat on the train, she layed her head back against the window.  
She basked in the moment of quiet before she smiled to herself, recalling that she had checked out a book from the library about Arsene Lupin, feeling like a good book was exactly what she needed to destress she brought her surprisingly heavy bag into her lap.

'Maybe Morgana is right that I need to start my exercise regiment again'

But that thought was quickly dashed when she opened her bag and did her best to not yelp too loudly when Morgana's yawning cat face was staring back at her.

"Ahh, that was such a good nap. Whats up? You look like somethings wrong."

A few people on the train turned to look at her and the sudden loud cat noises they heard and Makoto quickly felt embaressment wash over her as they did, mercifully nobodys gaze lingered for too long but the heat in her face wouldn't fade anytime soon.

She deigned not to look at him directly, trying to whisper out the side of her mouth and not look like she was both smuggling a cat onto a train and having a conversation with it.

"What are you doing here!? I thought you said we'd meet up later and when did you get into my bag!"

Morgana merely took up his comfortable position once again in her bag, cocking his head queerly as she spoke.

"A thief never reveals his secrets! And why are you talking like that?"

Attempting to keep her cool as more people took momentary glances her way at the cat noises she narrowed her eyes at Morgana and caused him to shrink back slightly.

"Because you're not supposed to be here! It's illegal to have pets on the train without the proper ticket so just answer the question."

Morgana to his credit didn't wither too much under her glare, taking the time to lick his paws clean as he spoke.

"Don't know why you're caring about laws now that you're a thief but whatever.  
I thought about parting ways earlier but then I recalled how much training you still need! I have to hold up my end of the deal afterall so I figured it'd be easier if I came to live with you." 

More people were starting to take notice of both her talking to her bag and where the cat noises were coming from.  
Some merely shook their heads but others gave her disapproving looks and slight glares before they returned to their business and the whole ordeal made Makoto want to curl up into a ball and vanish.

"Alright fine just stay quiet. And move, I need my book."

Thankfully Morgana only gave one more cry of "excellent choice by the way!" As she pushed him aside and retrieved her book before shutting the bag with a huff.

She set the bag aside and opened the book to the first page and honestly didn't know why as she knew she couldn't focus on reading now, until she got homs her thoughts would only be filled with how she was going to explain this to Sae for the rest of the train ride.

She walks in with a sigh, feeling the heaviness of the day finally sink in and is slightly ashamed at how glad she is to see that Sae isn't home before her. 

Before she could stop him Morgana immedietly jumped out of the bag, stretching out his paws on the kitchen counter. 

"Ahhh, this place is pretty nice! Plenty of places to curl up and, HEY! Put me down!"

Makoto, her expression only one of exhaustion, picks up the unruly cat and set him on the floor in a huff.

"Listen, are you certain theres no other places for you to stay? I'm sure theres a café nearby or something like it that would love to have you."

Morgana clearly put on his cutest most hurt eyes as he looked her, the shine on them sparkling in the kitchen lights.

"You would throw me out?! Leave me to the cold harsh whims of the streets and ask me to beg from shops? Me, your teacher?"

With her fingers pressed to the sides of her temples Makoto sighed as she felt a small headache begin to build from the exhaustion of the day.

"Look, that's not what I want to do but sis would never-"

Behind her the click of the doors lock made her freeze up.

"Makoto! Are you home? Mak- oh! There you are. I brought home conveyer belt sushi from my meeting and, why are you on the floor of the kitchen?"

From where she was on the floor she made a signal for Morgana to hide, but the damndable cat made the loudest pur she's ever heard and hopped into her arms at the mention of sushi.

She could almost feel the air chill behind her and Sae when she next spoke.

"..Makoto. That had better not be a cat you brought home and are failing to hide."

Sheepishly she stood up and turned around, revealing the cat cradled in her arms.  
Immedietly Sae's eyes went wide in shock then morphed into a harsh glare.

"Heh, um. Surprise?"

An uncomfortable silence spread between them with Sae's glare never wavering and Makoto only beginning to feel more childish.

"Get rid of it. Now."

Sae dropped her bag and keys on the table near the door and began to angrily stalk to her laptop in the living room leaving Makoto a stuttering mess.

"B-but sis! He's got no-"

Sae rounded on her, her glare withering.

"I believe I made myself perfectly clear. Now, Makoto."

"But it's got nowhere else to go!"

Sae's eyes narrowed and crossed her arms, clearly not used to Makoto balking her orders but was uwilling to stand her ground. Didn't help that the damn cat looked so much like..

Sae's gaze softened ever so slightly as she looked into the startlingly blue eyes of the black and white cat in Makoto's arms; thinking on just how similar they were to the one back then.  
As she stepped forward she made Makoto jump in surprise and the cat let out an irritatingly adorable meow.

"No where to go huh? Hm."

She sighed as she reached out and scratched under the cat's chin, and it actually made Sae flinch as it closed it's eyes and leaned into her hand to pur against her.

Makoto was practically stunned as she watched Sae soften from her earlier rigid stance, her hard frown forming into a barely noticable small smile as she stroked Morgana.  
Maybe she had underestimated Sae or perhaps she had-

"You would have been too young to remember Makoto-"

She was shaken from the dive into her thoughts as Sae spoke, voice barely a whisper as she herself seemed lost in thought.

"-but when I was little, Mom brought home a cat that looked a lot like this one. And I always…"

"..sis?"

Sae blinked for a moment, realizing just what she was doing as she pulled her hand back, with that damn cat letting out a small "pprrp" and then looking at her questioningly as she straightened herself once more.

"I suppose, that after what you've been through lately a cat would be beneficial to your wellbeing."

She crossed her arms again, her stance easily falling back into the form of the strict older sister but her gaze flicked up to the bandage on Makotos cheek that made guilt well up in her chest.

"But I expect your grades to not falter one bit and for you to do even more in your cram school studies"

Makoto nodded vigorously, her grin so shameless it actually warmed Sae's heart a little.

"Now let's get it something to eat, silly thing looks like it hasn't eaten proper in days.  
Have you decided on a name?"

Makoto blinked in surprise, still recovering from witnessng Sae's moment of vulnerability.

"Oh um, I think Morgana would be a good fit."

Sae cocked an eyebrow her way as she pulled out some leftover chicken and rice from the fridge.

"Interesting choice. But if you're going to take responsibility for it then it's only right for you to name it.  
Now, I have much work to do so I expect you to keep it quiet in your room while I work. oh and before I forget, heres the sushi I brought home for you."

Makoto took it with a nod, the smile on her face unwavered as she made her way to her room.

"Thank you so much sis! I'm just going to be studying in my room."

Sae sighed amd leaned against rhe counter once she heard the click of Makoto's door, shaking her head as her jumble of thoughts faded.

'Damn that cat, stirring up old memories better left buried.'

She made her way over to her laptop, openimg it up and set herself to work.

'But maybe this will be good for Makoto, it was good for me when I was young, at least for a time."

As Sae pulled up her files on her most recent case her thoughts drifted to how much she hoped this wouldn't all come back to bite her somehow.

4/12-Tuesday, after school, Takamaki-residence.

About twice per week Ann actually came back to this place, usually just to grab whatever food the caretaker her parents hired had dropped off and take it back to Ryuji and his moms place but this time it would be great stuff to take into the Metaverse.  
She noted with some disdain that her parents seemed to be competing again with how many expensive sweets there were.

Typically she would want to be anywhere else, but today she needed privacy since she had called Shiho and asked her to come by for a conversation Ann was dreading to her very core, how do you even bring the topic up naturally!?

'Oh it looks like we were both manipulated and abused by the same asshole but don't worry me and some friends are gonna whoop his cognitive ass in his mind palace or whatever to hopefully make him realize how awful he is.'

Thinking about all of this was just making her frustrated, with a growl she tore open a box of strawberry pocky and munched on them until her friends arrival. 

Thankfully, the doorbell rang before Ann could demolish anymore sweets and she rushed to the door.  
Shiho Suzui smiled at her closest friend, who she couldn't help but notice looked even more worn than her in this moment, something she hoped she could remedy as she pulled her into a tight hug.

As she did she noticed just how warm Ann felt all over, and she pulled back to place the back of her hand upon her forehead.

"Are you feeling alright Ann? You feel like you're practically running a fever."

"O-oh, um. I don't feel sick or anything, just tired. A lot happened today and theres something important I need to talk to you about."

As she stepped into the sparce white walled apartment with Ann, Shiho was flooded with all the memories of sleepovers and troublemaking that she had made with her.  
But seeing Ann look so hesitent and unsure, so unlike her usual self shook Shiho to her core and drove a spike of guilt deeper.  
Had her failure as a friend became so much that she didn't notice something that caused this much worry brewing within her? 

They sat side by side on the couch, with Ann doing that nervous tick where she twisted one lock of hair until it was little more than a spring.  
Shiho tooks her hand in her own, and pushing away the stabs of guilt that rang in her mind, gave Ann the warmest smile she could muster to let her know that she was here.

Ann looked at her stone faced for several moments, before tears began to roll down her cheeks and she told  
Shiho everything she could about Kamoshida.  
Her voice may have trembled but her words never wavered as she confessed to the deal she made with him when he approached her, about what she had allowed him to do to keep Shiho safe and with her head in her hands she told her how awful she felt to have not noticed that the bastard went back on his word; her words between sobs became only mumbled apologies and Shiho didn't know exactly when she had pulled her closest friend into a hug and was resolute to not let her go.

Their tears stained eachothers clothes as they pulled eachother close and the dam in Shiho finally broke; she had cried about this many times before, but had always told herself that while she only had some skill in volleyball to offer Ann could do or be anything so why shouldn't she do all she could to make sure she was protected. The words she used to justify his actions and make herslef believe it was all for a greater good turned vile in her mouth.

And to discover what she had twisted to see as self sacrifice to protect someone she loved had been tainted from the beginning; it forced sobs of her own from her as they both simply let themselves feel what had been repressed for far too long. 

At one point they simply ran out of tears to shed and just held eachother close, until Ann pulled back with her Hands on Shiho's shoulders to look her in the eye while her own were still red and puffy.

"I-I've been workikg with Makoto, ya know the student council president? A-and we're putting together a plan to make him pay for all of it, everything. If you can, we can go talk to her together so she can make sure he won't be getting away with any of it, Shiho I promise you he won't touch us or anyone else again." 

Shiho starred wide eyed for a moment, seeing so much fire and determination in her friends eyes that for a brief instant she swore there were small embers burning wih power amidst those seas of bright blue.  
She nodded and returned her friends gaze as best she could, recalling Niijima-sensei's tentative offer from before.  
Seeing her friend like this, how much she cared and was willing to help and push through despite everything, it reminded her just why she loved her so much.

"O-oh okay. As long as these plans go better than your last commitment to excercise then I'll trust you and Niijima-sensei."

Ann blinked truly stunned in that moment until Shiho smiled, letting loose such a clear joy inducing laugh that pulled her such a real laugh from her that she completely forgot about how hot her face felt, how Carmen burned with vengeance in her heart and all she focused on was how beautiful that sound was and how she would do anything to make sure Shiho could laugh like this again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants-  
> The Magician: Rank 1
> 
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> The Chariot: Rank 1
> 
> The lovers: Rank 1
> 
> This may be an in between chapter but these conversations felt like they were a lomg time coming and the thieves need to prep before securing the treasure route.  
> I had the most difficulty writing the conversation between Ann and Shiho as I was trying to get myself in that mindset, but I the end I felt their adoration and love for eachother would get them through it.
> 
> In any case I hope you all enjoy this chapter, next one shouldn't be too much longer.


	13. Show some respect

4/13, before school, Shujin academy library.

Morgana was still not used to Makoto's schedule as an early riser and didn't think he ever would be.  
She seemed insistent on getting to school an hour before it was necessaary as to get her duties in order despite him teaching her how to make lockpicks well into the evening.

Nestled in her bag and taking in the gentle swaying he was content to catch up on his sleep here however until she suddenly came to a stop and he overheard her talking to someone.

"O-oh! Hello again Ama-, Ren, I didn't expect to see you hear so early."

Why did she sound so flustered, was this Ren an adversary or perhaps a rival?  
The low chuckle and words he next heard indicated it was a young man that much was clear, and one with impossibly fluffy dark hair as he stealthily poked his head out of the bag to look.

Ren merely smirked and twirled his pencil between his fingers in a display of dexterity.

"Needed to catch up on some studies, been a bit busy lately and haven't had all the time I need that I would usually devote to it.."

Makoto nodded and sat down across from him at the table and began pulling out all her necessary books, papers and files.

"While I'm glad to see you're keeping up on your school work, I hope there isn't anything turbulent going on with your life outside that would cause you any undue stress."

"Nah nothing back home, really I just haven't been able to study here after school as much as I like, and when I'm back at Leblanc I much prefer to be serving coffee."

Makoto began reviewing the budget plan she planned to bring to the next student council meeting, she was proposiing a drastic shift but it would be necessary for the success of other clubs.

"Oh? And whats been keeping you from studying here."

She paused mid review, suddenly aware of how interogative that sounded and looked up to apologize but found Ren giving Ren looking her way with a nervous laugh.

"Heh, It's all the rumors honestly.  
Normally I can tune them out but sometimes when I'm trying to focus on a difficult subject It's just too much."

Makoto frowned deeply at this news.

"Oh. I hadn't realized how much the rumors had gotten out of hand. I'll see what I can do about them."

She made a mental note to talk to Takagi-san and ask if the Newspaper club could do anything to stop the spread of the falsehoods as well as who leaked his record.

Ren however merely rubbed the back of his head and flashed a genuine smile her way that made the tips of her ears grow hot for some reason.

"You've been so kind to me Makoto, and yet you haven't even asked me if any of the rumors are true or not."

She blinked, leaning back in her chair as she contemplated that thought and why she hadn't even asked or sought to investigate any further after their first meeting.

"W-well, I'd say I haven't because our first meeting made a clear enough picture, that you were someone who couldn't do any of the things I'd heard and I, well-"

Makoto's eyes went wide, realizing just how much she had trusted him that first meeting and how he yet to do anything to prove her first real impression otherwise.

"-well, I have yet to see anything for myself that tells me you're the monster so many think you are."

Her pulse quickend for moment, realizing that she had implied others see him as something evil and she knew she had to say something to make this less awkward, but before she could dive into her thoughts for what was best to remedy this she lifted her head at his sudden clear laughter.

"You know Makoto, hearing you talk like that and seeing you expertly multitask with all those books and paperwork-"

His said his next words with a gentle smirk that made her pulse quicken for a completely different reason that she wasn't fully aware of.

"-makes you truly seem like a queen."

She felt a heavy blush creep up her face and then she heard Morgana whisper to her from her bag.

"Well I think we found your codename.  
How about it Queen?"

She pursed her lips and sent Morgana a slight glare that clealy didn't have her heart in it. 

'Well, I do like the sound of it.'

"Makoto"

Hearing Ren's voice suddenly so near her made her jump, and she turned to see him unusually close and leaning in to whisper.

"Don't be alarmed by what I say next, but I fear something unusual is going on."

As nervous as she was to have him so close,  
'Why was she nervous!?'  
She found herself intrigued by what he had to say that warrented such secrecy.  
She leaned in as well, his lips close to her ear as he spoke.

"…But I believe that a cat may be hiding in your bag"

She blinked for moment, before she looked up at him and followed his very serious gaze to her bag where Morgana's head was poking out slightly before it ducked down once more.

Eyes going wide and suddenly very nervous she turned to him ready to stammer out some excuse that hadn't fully formed, but her anxious expression faded into pursed lips and a slight glare once she saw the knowing smirk he wore.

"…you're quite the Joker aren't you."

He laughed softly as he made his way back to his seat.

"Guilty as charged! And don't worry your secrets safe with me, they're real cute by the way.  
Whats their name?"

Makoto paused,thinking to herself about this turn of events and how she was going to have to have a talk with Morgana about his talking.

"…His name is Morgana and, thank you. He's um, helping me."

Ren waved a hand through the air, stil wearing that insufferable smirk.

"Don't worry you'll never have to explain yourself to me. And It's a good name, suits him well."

Once more Morgana made his presence known, now no longer trying to whisper as it was only them in the library.

"I don't know about this guy.  
He's unusally calm under the collar and has sharp eyes to boot, might be best to be wary around him."

Ren danced his pencil between his fingers once again, eyes now focused on his textbook.

"Heh, he's cute but he's a noisy one."

She mulled over Morgana's words, her thoughts quickly snowballing in Regards to his trustworthiness so she decided to treat him as she would any other student.

"I think we should focus on our studies, what is it you're going over?" 

"History, always have trouble recalling the dates."

"Then you had best review it diligently as I'll be quizing you on it once you're done."

"Looking forward to it Queen."

Choosing instead to keep her attention on the work in front of her and not his over familiarity she put pen to paper, but her thoughts now churned on how he said that word with such familiarity; as if he'd said it dozens of times before.

When their study session ended, she was true to her word and helped him review and while he did stumble over some dates he clearly retained the information once they had finished. 

Makoto was now going over the last of her club reports when an idea popped  
Into her head.

"Amami, um Ren? Would it be alright if we exchanged contact information?  
Just so that I can be sure you're keeping up with your studies, I can help you with them if you'd like."

Ren was currently going over the last of his own work but he smiled at her as he nodded and pulled out his phone, though he had an oddly pensive look on his face.

"That would be great, and tell you what if you ever need anything you can always shoot me a messege as well.  
I have a pretry diverse skill set so really if theres anything you need, deal?"

She nodded and exchanged numbers feeling that strange sensation still the world again only this time, the voice that spoke in her mind was layered and seemed to have trouble forming It's words.

"I am thou... Thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a new vow...  
It shall become the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.  
With the birth of The wo- Pers..  
..With the birth of The Moon Persona  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that  
shall lead to freedom and new power"

Makoto blinked as the proper flow of time resumed and the odd fog in her mind lifted, feeling like she would need to ask Igor and the wardens about this the next time she visited the Velvet Room. 

By the time they had wrapped up and were all packed other students were beginning to arrive in the library, already whispering in low tones at the sight of Ren and the nervous energy in the room suddenly sky rocketed.

'Hey is that Ms.Robot with the transfer student? Pff, doubt her layin down the law is even getting to that criminal'

'Where they studying together? He must be blackmailing her or something'

'I hope he's not hurting her or anything, she'd best run when she gets the chance'

Ren sighed and shook his head, putting away his phone as he stood.  
He gave a lool to Makoto that seemed to be telling her something but she missed it entirely, and was very confused by what happened next.

Ren stood in front of her and bowed deeply, his arms stiff at his sides as he loudly spoke.

"Thank you Niijima-senpai for all you've done to reform and tutor me, I promise I won't step out of line again."

As he rose he gave her a small wink and a smile before his face became stoic once more and he strode out of the library.

Utterly confused by that display she gathered her things quickly to go after him, but as she did she could hear that the students whispers had changed.

'So she was here to lecture him? Knew he couldn't be here to just study'

'Wow, if Miss.prez already has him on a leash I wonder how hardcore she is'

'She must know all the things he's done and is putting him in line, didn't expect that from the Robot'

As she opened the Libray door she saw him meandering down the hall, hands in his pockets and his head down until she caught up to him.

"Why did you, that was an odd display to put on. They're only saying worse things about you now.

Ren merely shrugged

"I can handle it if they talk about me, just didn't like how they were talking about you once you were seen with me."

Makoto blinked at him slightly confused until Morgana whispered to her from her bag.

"You hear how the whispers changed after he did that? I think that was his intent"

As the realization dawned on her she looked to Ren surprised and caught him looking at her bag sweetly for a moment before facing her again.

"Heh, sorry. He really does have an adorable little voice."

Before she could ask him more about it however, the door to the faculty office opened up and out stepped a young girl with deep red hair kept up in a bright red ribbon.

The young girl had a broad infectious smile as she saw Ren and stepped up to him, who in return gave a small nod and smile in return. 

"It's you! Thank you again for your help earlier on the train."

"It was nothing Yoshizawa-san, just dealing with a rude man. Here, this is Niijima-sensei, the student council president."

He gestured to Makoto and the young girl visibly blanched as she took notice of her and bowed deeply.

"Oh! Where are my manners, I'm so sorry I didn't see you there Sensei, I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa, I just transfered here."

Makoto blinked, feeling confused for a moment as she was sure that when she said her first name her lips didn't quite match up, but she attributed it her mind being elsewhere moments before and returned her bow with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you Yoshizawa-san, I hope you enjoy your time at Shujin academy. Are you in any clubs or-"

Makoto felt herself stiffen as she saw Kamoshida step out of the faculty office behind her, who's expression was as usual kind and unassuming.  
There was a time when seeing him would fill her with the same sense of trust she would have whe viewing most teachers, now she had to actively fight the bile rising in her throat.

"Ah Niijima-san it's good to see you're doing well, and that you've already met our newest student Yoshizawa-san, she's going to be our newest star in the Gymnastics club."

'And you're next target most likely you monster'  
Makoto held her thoughts at bay, doing her best to put on her student council president smile as she spoke.

"Is that so? That's wonderful to hear, I'll be looking out for her same as our other transfer srudent."

Kamoshida's jovial attitude faltered as he looked over at Ren who gave him a small nod. His expression visibly soured as he met his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Is that so? Surely you can recognize when a student is worth more of your time and effort. Yoshizawa-san?"

The girl in question who up until this point was all smiles, looked to Kamoshida with a questioning look as she was sadly caught in the middle of this.

Kamoshida and Ren seemed to have locked eyes and neither was looking away as he next spoke.

"You'll recall how I mentioned some students here might be people to avoid? Well Amamiya-san here is who I was talking about, a criminal and a delinquent so you'd best not concern yourself with him like our Student council president foolishly has." 

Yoshizawa eyes went wide, looking at Ren with a shaky glace before she turned back to Kamoshida.

"O-oh, I see um."

Makoto felt her blood begin to boil, her lips moving to speak on his behalf until Ren spoke up instead.

"Thank you Kamoshida-san for auch an astute asssesment. However I wouldn't deign to call Niijima-sensei foolish for helping out every student to the best of her ability."

Both Yoshizawa and Makoto stilled as he spoke, the deliberate non use of Kamoshida's honorific while still using Makoto's hanging in there air.

"Re-Amamiya-san you should really be-"

Kamoshida unfolded his arms as he stepped up to Ren to loom over him, and yet Ren held that damdable smirk still.

"You had best show some respect Amamiya."

"Earn it."

Makoto did a hard blink and Yoshizawa actually let out a small gasp, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock.

The tension in the air was thicker than in the palace but was thankfully broken as the bell rang.

Kamoshida and Ren held eachothers gazes for a moment longer before he growled out a response and headed for his office.

"I'll be bringing this up at the next faculty meeting, get to class while you still can Amamiya."

Ren's gave a small nod in return, and yoshizawa stammered out an awkward apology and hurried off to her class, leaving Ren and Makoto in the hall as she became increasingly aware of all the students that just witnessed their headbutting before they to hurried on their way.

She saw Ren going to leave and came up to his side, a slight glare in her eyes but not truly in her words, feeling slightly envious at what he was able to say.

"That was incredibly foolish, you could get expelled when he brings that up at the faculty meeting."

"Then It's a good thing I know he won't be here much longer, you're going to take him down after all."

"How…how do you have so much faith in me to do this?"

Ren gave her the softest most genuine smile she had seen from him yet, as if she had just asked him a question with an answer he knew well.  
He opened his mouth to speak, but his gaze shifted to see Morgana's head poking out of the bag and he reached out a hand.  
He scratched the edge under the cats jawline, earning only a slight hiss from Morgana at first before he purred loudly at his ministarations.

"You inspire more faith than I think you realize Makoto."

With his final words leaving her more confused than when she left the library to talk to him, he gave her a wave goodbye before shoving his hands in his pockets and making his way to class.

Makoto shuffled her way to class as well, her thoughts a muddled mess as Morgana piped up from her bag.

"I take back some of what I said, I like him. But we should still keep an eye on him, especially if you don't want him to get himself in more trouble." 

Makoto could feel her gaze harden as she looked ahead and nodded.

"Agreed. It looks like we might be on a deadline now, I don't want him to be expelled, luckily for him thats when I do my best work."

Morgana sighed before curling up in her back once more, his next words only slightly muffled.

"Ya know, you can be pretty intimidating when you're fired up Queen."

Makoto smiled at that,enjoying the way the codename sounded.  
Perhaps the name fit even more than she realized.

At the end of the school day Makoto had just wrapped up a long but necessary student council meeting where she had proposed her newest club budget.  
It would be a while before they had to pass another one so getting her peers opinions on it early would be essential for any tweaking that needed to be done, and thankfully many in the student council had agreed with much of her changes while others were more hesitent to make such cuts to notable clubs. 

She was in lost in her curret work of drafting one with their suggestions in mind that a knock came on the student council room door causing her to stiffen slightly much to her alarm.

Shaking her head and straightening her uniform she made her way to open the door, her thoughts now on her nervousness.

'Have my nerves already been made so raw from our time in the palace?'

She opened the door and was surprised to see Ann and Suzui-san standing there.  
Ann's smile and words, despite the almost constant chipperness she had managed to always put into them, felt a bit grim as Makoto welcomed them in.

"Hiii, sorry to drop by but I didn't get a reply to the message I sent you and there were things we needed to talk with you about."

Surprised Makoto checked her phone, and groaned slightly when she realized she had gotten tunnel vision on her current task again and had missed a few messages.  
One from Ann telling her she was coming by to see her and was bringing Suzui-san, and another that was a group chat from Ryuji telling them both to meet him after they were all done.

Putting her phone away she smiled and nodded, sotting down across from the two other girls.

"My apologies, I seemed to have let myself get caught up in my work again. Now what is it you both eant to talk about?"

Ann opened her mouth to speak and Suzui stopped her, catching her gesturing arm and offering a soft smile to her friend before turning to Makoto.

"Ann told me that you've been investigating the rumors about Kamoshida-sensei and how that she's been helping you with your investigation.  
She left out what you're both doing but told me that you're willing to help and, I want to come forward and help in anyway I can."

Makoto was stunned. Her file on Kamoshida had remained the same as it was before they discovered his palace with the volleyball players remaining tight lipped about the true causes of their injuries, only writing them off as the result of hard word and training.

Based on what she'd seen of the behavior and appearance of Kamoshida's shadow and palace, she could sadly put together just what his "training" might entail for the female players and she could feel the bile and righteous fury rise in her once more at the thought.

Pulling out her en and notepad she did her best to conceal her anger as she spoke.

"Suzui-san, thank you for having the bravery to speak to me about this, I truly can't imagine how difficult this might be for you. Whatever information you have to give will be greatly appreciated."

What happened next was a series of events that tested the willpower of both Makoto and Ann not to go and pummel their supposed teacher to death.

Suzui-san told her about how Kamoshida had approached her after a meet where she had performed with some difficulty, how he had kindly offered her pointers and training with him so she could better herself, and what that training truly was and what it became.  
Recently however, it seems that Kamoshida hasn't talked to her or called her to his office for a reason she wasn't aware of.  
Ann and Makoto shared a knowing look, confirming that they needed to talk and that Suzui-san had shared all she needed. 

Makoto closed her notepad, thanking Suzui-san once again for her courage and did her best to assure her that both her and Ann would see him brought to justice.  
Ann and Shiho shared a long hug after their meeting, with shiho whispering something into her ear that caused a tear to form in Ann's eye before they pulled alart and she faced Makoto.

"Niijima-senpai, a while ago we talked with Amamiya-san about how you practicrd Akido and I was wondering if you could give me a private lesson."

Makoto smiled, once again thankful for that young mans presence and the small but essential ways he had helped her.

"Of course! I'd be more than happy to, lets exchange information so we can figure out a time that works best."

With an exchange of numbers, and one last hug with Ann, shiho left them alone in the student council room and made her way home.

Once she left Makoto turned to Ann, knowing that this must have difficult for her only to find her with her phone out, her expression blank save for the tears gathering in her eyes as she spoke.

"..Just letting Ryuji know we finished and he can come by, he seemed real adamant about meeting up to go to some shop and..and"

Makoto, still unsure of what to do exactly stepped closer to her new friend.

"..Ann-"

"I'm okay! Really I'm just so proud of Shiho and.."

Ann's mask began to falter, her lower lip trembling as she thought of Shiho and Makoto reached out and pulled her into a hug.  
At first Ann was stiff and Makoto suddenly panicked that she may have overstepped her bounds but when she felt Ann begin to pull her arms into herself and shake softly in her embrace it put her at ease.

They stayed like that for a moment longer before Ann pulled away, the mascara she intricately applied now running slightly down her cheeks as she gave Makoto a soft smile.

"Thank you Makoto, I know we don't really known eachother but, just thanks."

Makoto returned the smile and offered her friend, it still felt so wonderful to think that, a box of tissues that she greatfully accepted.

"Ugh, I just-"

Ann crossed her arms and gripped her jacket tightly, her expression growing angered for a moment before it faded.

"-I just wish I had noticed sooner you know? I can't believe I didn't; I've known Shiho nearly all my life and it felt like it was just all right there but.."

"But you couldn't think to see it."

Ann looked away, lost in her own thoughts as she offered a mumbled  
"Yeah.."

"You're not at blame here Ann, the reason this whole investigation of mine started, why I knew you were in trouble with Kamoshida that day, was because Amamiya-san noticed that Suzui-san was displaying signs of abuse. Someone else spotted it before I did and this is my job, I can't begin to tell you how much I feel like I've failed her and all the others he's hurt. If anyone is to blame for not seeing this sooner it's me."

Ann stared at her wide eyed as Makoto layed how she felt, her doubts and and fears plain to see in that moment.

"Makoto, I had no idea..I don't blame you at all."

It was Anns turn to pull Makoto into a hug much to the surprise of the brunette.

"I'm really not good at this; Ryuji has always been better at thinking of what to say but,-"

Ann pulled back, hands on her shoulders and looked at Makoto's wide eyes with her own steely gaze.

"We're going to make him pay right?"

As Ann spoke Makoto could feel the temperture raise in the room, the fire in her words and eyes was palapable and it sparked a fire of her own as she nodded with determination.

"Absolutely. The only one to blame for this is the bastard that hurt her, and we'll be making him pay soon enough."

Ann pulled back with a nod and a grin.

"Right! We'll make him confess all he's done and then, Shiho will be safe."

As she spoke Ann felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she spoke about keeping shiho safe, shaking her head she turned her thoughts to something Makoto had mentioned earlier.

"S-say um, you said that Ren was the one who noticed Shiho was hurting? Whats that about?"

Makoto blinked, then recalled what she had said and her first meeting with the young man, how they had run into Suzui-san in the hall.

"Oh well, we all ran into eachother while I was showing him around the school that sunday and he just seemed to know. He said something about how "he had seen it all before and wasn't about to let it happen again"."

Makoto frowned for a moment, her finger on her chin as she thought.

"That must be why he spoke back to Kamoshida this morning. He won't tollerate him even if it means he may get expelled."

Ann's eyes went wide for a moment.  
But before she could ask further the door to the student council room slid open dramatically to reveal a grinning Ryuji.

"Guys! Got great news!"

His expression and mood immedietly shifted when he saw Ann, becoming somber and attentive as he walked over to her and held her hand.

"It all go okay? You alright?"

Ann cocked her head with a smile before giving him a small nod and a playful shove back, telling him to  
"actually finish a thought for once".

With a chuckle he closed the door and faced them once more.

"Okay so, the place where I bought those airsoft guns is open today so I figured we could head down there and gear up for when we go into the palace! What do you say huh?"

There was a loud groan as Morgana finally stirred awake within Makoto's bag in the corner.

"Ugh so loud, the monkey must be here."

To his credit Ryuji only rolled his eyes.

"Tsk, hey Morgana."

Morgana offered a grunt of acknowledgement as he lept up onto the table with a long stretch and a yawn as he faced the group.

"It's a good plan though, we'll need all the help we can get in that palace."

Ann nodded and grabbed her bag.

"As nice as it was for you to get me that pistol Ryuji I think I'd like something I could make use of. I wasn't rhe best shot with those though you managed to actually hit Kamoshidas shadow which was cool!."

Ryuji rubbed his head thoughtfully as Makoto opened the door for them all to leave and they made their way out.

"Heh, yeah I guess I did but I think I could use something with less need to aim. Man it's the weirdest thing though, nah it's nothing."

Makoto opened her bag for Morgana to jump in and curl up for his nap once again as she cocked her head at Ryuji.

"What is it? Very rarely are things simply nothing anymore."

Ryuji nodded at that and finished his train of thought.

"Well It's just that, I remember each aftershock of the shots and I missed every one except for that last one, but I don't remember pulling the trigger for that one."

He shrugged and shook his head.

"Meh I probabaly just don't remember cause of the adreneline of awakening Captain Kid, come on we gotta hurry before the next train!"

Makoto frowned in thought as they all sped to the station, recalling that strange rainbow colored light that had enveloped them while they were in the smoke and how it too stil didn't have an explanation.  
Resolving to keep an eye out for any strange occurances while in the palace she moved to keep pace.

4/12 after school, train from Aoyama-itchome to Shibuya

On the train ride she had explained to the new situation with Ren, and realized that Ryuji and him had become more aquainted.

"Maaan I admire the grit he has to say that shit to Kamoshida but you're right, he's only getting himself in trouble."

Ann nodded, secretly wished she had seen it first hand before she turmed to Makoto.

"Whens the next faculty meeting?"

"It's on the second of May, so we still have time but I'd rather we finish the Palace well before then."

Morgana poked his head out of her bag, speaking up despite the long conversation Makoto had with him last night about laws and tickets and how he needed to lut his stealth skills to use in the real world too.

"Don't you think you should tell them about the codename Ren gave you?"

Makoto quickly pulled the bag up higher around him before anyone on the train could notice, but her companions were looking at her with curious glances.

"O-oh um, well we were studying this morning and he mentioned how I, remimded him of a Queen and..Well rather like it."

Makoto could feel her ears heating up as she spoke and then watched them both nod.

"Duude, it totally works."

"Scary how well that fits."

The train announcer coming on the radio to alert them of their stop saved her from feeling further embarrasment that she couldn't explain and would rather not focus on right now as they headed into Shibuya proper.

4/13 After school, Shibuya

The green neon sign reading 'Untouchables' made it clear to Makoto this was exactly the kind of place she typically wouldn't go to, what with it being at the back of a seedy alley and in the shadows like where an illicit meetup would happen in her favorite Yakuza films.

But stepping inside revealed a fairly ordinary airsoft shop with quite enjoyable soft but upbeat jazz playing over the radio. 

"Welcome to Untouchables, let me know if I can help you at all."

The familiar voice made her eyes go wide, and she wasn't the only one as they all turned to the counter and voiced their surprise in unision.

"REN!?"

On the otherside of the counter, white button with rolled up sleeves up over a black shirt with feather duster in hand and hair as fluffy as ever was one Ren Amamiya who turned to them with a smile.

"Oh, hey guys"

A gruff voice called from the backroom.

"All okay Ren? Need a hand?"

Ren's face remained neutral as he called back.

"Just some friends Iwai, nothing to worry about."

"Hmm, they paying customers?"

Ren rubbed the back of his neck and looked to them with a raised eyebrow, when he saw them all nod or shrug he turned back to where the voice came from.

"Yup, no worries Iwai I got it."

Ren placed the feather duster below the counter then faced them all with a grin.

"So! Didn't think you guys liked airsoft, especially you Queen."

Makoto felt her face heat up as he said the the codename, though just a playful nickname to him.  
Ann turned to her with mischief in her eyes and a catlike smirk that confused the brunette as she spoke.

"Do you really have to keep,um.  
Well, I am looking into new hobbies and I thought this would be fun."

Ann's gaze kept flitting between Ren and Makoto and she occasionaly wiggled her eyebrows at the girl who was more confused than ever when Ann seemed exasperated about something.

Ren cleared some things off the counter as he took in her words and nodded.

"Well thats good. Anything I can help you all find?"

Ryuji looked at Ren incredulously as he spoke.

"Uh yeah dude! How about startin with why you're here!"

Ren merely leaned on the counter and raised an eyebrow.

"I told you yesterday I was going to help my uncle out at his shop." 

Ryuji suddenly looked mischiveous as well as he looked at Ren with a wide grin that made the fluffy haired boy narrow his eyes.

"Ahhh okay! So this is your uncles shop, glad to to see his little Renren could help him out."

Ren's face fell into hands groaning softly as everyone seemed vastly interested in Ryuji's name choice. 

Siezeing the moment to tease him Makoto smiled at Ren as he looked up.

"Renren? A curious nickname."

Sighing Ren looked at his friends, slightly glaring at Ryuji who only grinned back. 

"It's, my family nickname. So! Once more, how can I help you all?"

Ren went about the shop showing them various airsoft guns depending on what they told him.  
Ryuji had wanted something big that he didn't to put much thought into aiming so Ren pulled a model shotgun off the shelf for him and shrugged.

"Doesn't get much more complicated than point and shoot with this."

Ann had wanted something wih flair, something that also was more of a point and fire kind of weapon with added benefit of a wide spray and when Ren pointed her to several of the model smg's she bounced with delight upon seeing one in a firey red sheen.

She said something excitedly about "matching aestethics"  
and brought it to the counter. 

Ren sidled up to Makoto who was looking at the various pistols with a frown.

"Not finding anything to your liking?"

"Hmm, not particularly. I'm trying to find something that is the most practical and effective and, I suppose this would be it."

She tapped her finger on the box of a Tarkov heavy duty pistol, built for extended use and controlled fire.

"But I can't seem to bring myself to buy it."

Ren shook his head offering a simple statment of,

"Then don't focus on the practical."

and gestured for him to follow him to the front.

Her curiosity peaked she saw him pull a display case off the shelf near the back wall and bring it to the back.  
He placed in on the counter and her eyes went wide.

Inside of the display case was an old western style magnum revolver straight out of the films her father once loved, were it not for the orange painted tip she would have mistook it for the genuine article.  
Ren smiled at her reaction as she approached the counter.

"You want to focus on what's fun. It is a hobby afterall."

"Oh, well, I suppose you're right but I imagine this is quite expensive."

"It's a collectors item thats for sure but not very costly, if you're interested I just gotta clear it with my uncle."

After a moment she nodded and Ren smiled and took it to the backroom.  
She could overhear the hushed tones of him talking to his uncle in the back, soon after he returned with a gruff looking man with stewl toned hair and a neck tattoo in the shape of gecko.  
To Makoto the day old stubble, serious way he held himself and slight glare he had on his face as he surveyed his nephews group of friends made him look quite surly.  
She made a mental note of how odd it was that the appearances could be so dissimilar and she couldn't help but compare his demeanor to a hardboiled Yakuza as his gaze fell on her.

"You the one interested in the revolver?"

She found herself swallowing hard before she gave a single nod.

A heartbeat of silence passed and then his face broke into a wide grin and he threw his hands out wide as he leaned back with a small laugh.

"Heh, never thought I'd see someone interested in buying the old gal. Had her shelved for years since she was built. You know anything about maintenance for it?"

His sudden casualness put Makoto at ease as she smiled and shook her head.

He nodded and jabbed a thumb back at Ren behind him.

"He can give you the rundown, I'll be ringing these two up over here. Just leave it with him for packageing once you're done alright?" 

Ren stepped forward and placed a small set of tools, swabs and bottlesof oils in a leather pouch on the counter next to the case, slowly he went about explaining to her how to break it down and clean the various parts.  
Since it was only an airsoft model it didn't require as much maintence as a regular gun but parts could still jam since It had smaller pieces.

It all felt quite overwhelming to Makoto who had only wanted something simple and efficient, but the thought of pulling this on a shadow like a wandering lawbringer brought a smile to her face.  
Rens explanation was brief and succint and she was able to digest the information easily, nodding once he was done and he went about packaging it up for sale.

"you certainly seem to know a lot about this. I must admit It's surprising."

Ren shot her a small smile and nodded.

"I told you, I have a lot of various talents and skills, so don't be afraid to ask for my help with anything you need."

A sudden cry of shock from Ryuji nearby brought her attention over to them.

"Jeeez man! Why are these so expensive?!"

Iwai's slight smile fell into a hard line and Ryuji gulped at the sight.

"each of these pieces you selected are hand made by me ya know, none of them will be as cheap as the pistols you bought here before. You can find those anywhere."

Ryuji seemed taken aback that he recognized him.

"Thats right kid, I remember everyone that comes into my shop. Especially if they have a disguise as bad as you."

Iwai went about bagging their items before they could protest.

"And don't worry about the price-

He gestured his head back to Ren who merely smiled at them all and gave a nod.

"He said he would cover it for you since you're his friends."

He held out his arm with the bags waiting for them to accept.  
Makoto looked to Ren in shock, all three began to mumble somethiing in protest but Iwai pulled the bag back slightly, eyes narrowing on all three of them.

"You sayin you aren't his friends?"

Ryuji unsurprisingly was the first to speak up.

"Hell no! I'll always have his back, but-"

"But nothin!"

Iwai thrust the bags forward for Ryuji to take and he did so, slightly panicked by Iwai's raised voice.  
The steel haired man leaned back, arms crossed as he spoke.

"In our family we pay good done to us foward, that's all there is to it.  
From what he's told me all of you have been good to him despite his situation, so I'd say that deserves some good back."

He turned to Ren then, saying that he needed to get back to work but to hollar if he needed anything else, Ren nodded and approached the counter with a nervous grin.

"Sorry about that. He ca be pretty intense but I promise you'd be hard pressed to meet a better man."

"Don't sweat it dude, just surprised is all you really got that kind of cash?"

"Yeah! It's real nice and all but we don't want to bankrupt you just because we weren't terrible to you."

Curious Makoto looked over to the dislay on the register and her eyes went wide when she saw that their total was a little over 20,000 yen!

Suddenly she couldn't agree more with Ann.  
Her mouth hung open as she looked at Ren who nodded and did that motion again as if he had glasses but stopped himself with a frown before he completed the,she now realized, habitual motion.

"Really It's nthing I can't spare, I'm working a few jobs so I have plenty coming in. And It's the least I can do for what you've all done for me."

Ren looked to them all with that genuine smile again and Makoto could feel the affection spread through the air. 

"It may not seem like much but you've all helped me a lot more than was needed." 

He clearly had more to say but only managed a slight "oompf" as Ann pulled him into a tight hug from over the counter. 

"You big lovable idiot! Of course we would help you out! And hey-

Ann pulled back and looked him softly in the eye.

"You call me when you need to alright? I meant what I said in class this morning"

He nodded, that smile still gracing his face as he pulled back and the interaction taking both Makoto and Ann by surprise.

"Alright, thanks Ann. Now I'm sure you guys need to get going and I-"

He reached down and picked up the feather duster with a serious look.

"- have got a lot more work to do. See you all tomorrow at school.  
Study session tomorrow morning Queen?"

Makoto brushed a lock of hair over one ear as she nodded with a mischiveous smirk.

"Looking forward to it, Renren."

"Heh, guess I earned that one. See you all later."

The trio of thieves made their way out of the shop, each holding a new weapon they would use to dispence justice in the palace tomorrow.

Ryuji wiggled his eyebrows and nudged Ann with his elbow as they walked much to her ire.

"Soooo, gave him your number did ya? Told him to call you huh? Ow!"

Ann slugged Ryuji in the shoulder.

"It wasn't like that perv! He just, looked so sad this morning in class, like there was something that wouldn't leave his mind so I talked to him about it and he told me that something had been on his mind for a while but he couldn't say what.  
Then he somehow turned the conversation to be about what I was going through! It's weird he's like, so easy to talk to that I almost let slip about the palace, kamoshida, everything. So I gave him my number and told him to call if he ever needed to vent, that's all."

Ryuji and Makoto nodded along, taking in the information.

"Yeah I know what you mean about him being easy to talk to, when we had beef bowls yestersay I told him more than I thought I had to tell! Kinda eerie when you think about it."

Makoto thought back to all of her conversations with Ren, how he seemed to exude trust and had an almost welcoming aura.  
Though she had yet to find herself divulging information like Ann and Ryuji had but she nodded all the same.

"I've had similar expereiences, he does seem to put people at ease.  
This morning he was very forthcoming and truthful, though our conversation went much like our others with him complimenting me and being overly friendly." 

Ann and Ryuji shared a look that clearly said volumes between them, then looked to Makoto with snickering laughs.

Makoto blinked in confusion.

"Was it something I said?"

Ryuji merely shook his head and jept walking, Ann placed a hand on her shoulder and said that "she should give him a call sometime." Which only made her more confused as they made their way to the train station.

Rem sighed as he put down the duster, eyes hardening as he made his way to Untouchables backroom where Iwai was waiting.

"Sorry about that Iwai, you said you weren't expecting customers and I certainly wasn't expecting them to stop by here of all places."

Iwai leaned against the back table and turned to him with a hard look.

"You didn't involve any of them in getting rid of what I gave you right?"

"Absolutely not. I may have been confused as hell with you handing me that but I had a feeling I knew what you wanted me to do with it."

With a heavy sigh and a rubbing of eyes Iwai pulled off his hat.

"Thanks kid, I didn't want you to get involved in this at all, your mom would kill me if she not only found out I was back to smithing but that I had asked you to dispose of some product for me."

Ren walked over and put a hand on his weary uncles shoulder, giving him a look that had as much patience and understandning as he could muster.

"I won't ask why you had me get rid of it, cause I know you won't tell me. But please uncle just tell me whats happening to you."

Iwai looked at him with surprise and a crumbling will.

"If I tell you, you need to swear to me that you won't do anything stupid."

Ren pulled back, apprehension clear in his face and words.

"Uncle, I-"

"Swear it! If you act on what I tell you it won't just fuck up my life and yours but your moms too."

Ren breathed deeply for a moment, then nodded.

Iwai reached into his coat and pulled out a polaroid picture, handing it to Ren.

What was on the picture made Ren's heart stop and his blood run cold.

'This didn't happen before..what changed?' 

Was all he could think as he stared at the picture of a young boy in school uniform, bound blindfolded and gagged, but the gecko like scar on his neck was clearly visible in the picture.

Ren looked up at Iwai, the shock clear on his face looking for answers but he saw only the tired expression of a weary single father that had been struggling with this for quite some time.

"Kaoru's been kidnapped."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants-  
> The Magician: Rank 1
> 
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> The Chariot: Rank 1
> 
> The lovers: Rank 1
> 
> The Moon: Rank 1
> 
> Lots of stuff in this chapter! I know it's kind of long but I wanted to ge through all of this before we go back into the palace.  
> We had our first introduction of Royal elements with Yoshizawa, and if you're wondering what the thing was with her that's just my way of doing Maruki's influence. Technically a much stronger effect from him in this story but I think this story lends itself to that.  
> For those also wondering why Ren is the Moon arcana, it's not just becaue he'll eventually be making the phan-site,  
> The Moon tarot card deals with illusion, uncertainty and the need to overcome past experiences.  
> All of which fit's Ren in this story to a T.
> 
> Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter!


	14. Justice so desired

4/14, during school, homeroom

Ann Takamaki found herself incredibly impatient today; be it either drumming on her desk or fiddling with her hair she needed something to keep her hands busy, some way to take her mind off of heading into the Palace today.  
Their preperations had been made as best they could, she had gathered the food, Ryuji had gathered them weapons, and while Makoto had been unable to secure medicine she did have painkillers which were prescribed to her for her injuries during the train accident that she technically should have been taking were it not for Morgana's healing magic.  
The plan was set, the preperations complete and yet the school day simply wouldn't be over fast enough! 

She listened to Kawakami continue her lesson with a great deal more pep than usual, she either had some new coffee in that thermos or the chronically exhausted teacher had finally given in and was just chugging energy drinks now.  
The thought of the teacher zipping around with limitless energy only to suddenly crash made her giggle softy, or maybe not as softly as she thought as she heard Kawakami call on her.

She did her best to sit up straight and look as proper as can be, Kawakami quirked an eyebrow her way and posed the question to her.

"Takamaki-san, would you mind telling us what the phase "my country right or wrong” is meant to convey?"

Ann gulped but still managed to keep her smile despite the panic setting in.

"Of course! Well it naturally refers to..um, it refers to-"

As if sent from heaven on high she heard a quiet whisper from behind her

"You unquestionably support it, and have a duty to correct it"

Ann made a promise to herself that she would take Ren out for crepès one day, to thank him for saving her from this embaressment as she cleared her throat before continueing.

"Ahem, sorry about that. It refers to how you unquestionably support your country but also have a duty to correct it"

Kawakami smiled broadly and turned back to the board to write her response on it.

"Very good Takamaki-san, I see your studying has been paying off! Now for the rest of this lesson we're going to explore the-"

Ann let out a shaky breath as Kawakami's voice faded into the backround before sneakily pulling out her phone to send Ren a text thanking him for saving her.  
She quickly got a reply back with a simple "Anytime"

Once class had finished the bell for lunch rang and she turned back to Ren with a grin.

"Hey! Thanks again, want to ask you something if you don't have plans for lunch."

As casual as ever he sat back in his chair.

"Sure thing, was just gonna have some curry but it can be anywhere."

"I want all of us to have lunch together! Shiho isn't here today but I was thinking You, me, Ryuji-"

She leaned forward and gave him a very knowing look.

"and your Queen of course."

To her surprise she actually earned a small nervous chuckle from the usually unflappable teen as he looked out the window and her suspicions of him were confirmed when she saw a small blush creep into his cheeks.

"Heh, yeah that would be nice."

When he looked back she still maintained her smirk and added a dramatic eyebrow wiggle for good measure.

He sighed and fell face forward onto the textbook on his desk.

"..It really is that obvious isn't it."

Ann nodded slowly but propped her chin up on her hand in thought.

"Yeahh, well it is to me and Ryuji, though it took him a bit.  
To Makoto though..not so much."

Rens voice was muffled as he spoke into his textbook, his arms rising up to gesture in exasperation.

"I've noticed!

Sighing he sat back upright, his hand almost going to touch his face before he stopped himself.

Ann cocked her head at him, curious at the motion she's seen him do a few times now.

"Hope I'm not prying too much but,Why do you do that?"

"Heh, don't worry you're not. Told Ryuji that I'm an open book and It won't be any different for you.  
I do that so often because, for a long time I wore fake glasses to make myself seem softer. Got told a lot growing up that I have a harsh gaze but when I came to Tokyo for probation I got rid of em, figuring I would make a fresh start.  
But I still have a lot of the old mannerisms from wearing them for so long."

Ann nodded in understanding,but her curiosity peaked so she leaned in closer to get a good look at his eyes.  
She hadn't really noticed before but they were a deep slate like grey and bore the same hard look, their appearance gave the idea that he could give a mean glare if he wanted to.

As she was looking though she saw his eyes narrow then dart to their left.  
When she pulled back she saw that there were in fact several students whispering and glancing their way.

'Is she really cheating on Kamoshida-sensei? I can't believe it!'

'Doesn't she know what he's done to other girls?'

Ren sighed and began putting his things together

"If we want lunch we should head out now, before the courtyard fills up and anyone else here gets more ammunition."

Ann nodded solemly and got her stuff together; the heat was building in her face now but what she felt was far from embaressment.  
All she could feel was a slow simmering anger at these people who just blindly went along with whatever outlandish story someone come up with.  
For the first time in a long while she wanted to blow up, really get into someones face and make em know  
she wasn't gonna listen anymore.  
Now though she knew from experience that doing so wouldn't help either her or Ren, but curiously the thought still persisted.

She shook her head as they left the classroom and made their way to the courtyard, texting Makoto and Ryuji to meet them there.

By the time they arrived Ryuji and Makoto were waiting for them at a nearby table, both of them perking up when they were spotted and gave a wave.

"Heyy, figured it was high time we all sat down and had lunch together!"

Ryuji's grin widened and he did a fist pump from where he sat.

"Nice! What'd ya bring?"

Makoto sighed and shook her head at Ryuji as Ann glared and puffed her cheeks.

"I brought something for me! Did you forget? I even reminded you last night to pack a lunch for yourself!

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head and gave a nervous laugh with an awkward smile.

"Oohh, yeahh I totally forgot about that after I made my moms. Ah It's no biggie I'll just go see if they still have anything in the school shop."

As he made his way to get up Ren put a hand up to catch his attention.

"You might not need to, If you like curry that Is"

Ryuji sat back down with eyes going wide and an audible growl from his stomach.

"Hell yeah I do! Uh I mean, yeah It's alright. Why? You got enough to share?"

Ren say down and set his bag by his feet.

"Uhh, yeah you could say that."

"Sweet dude! Thanks man I owe you one."

As Ann and Makoto pulled out their various items for lunches Ren moved to do the same but paused for a moment before facing the group, the aprehension clear on his face.

"Hey um, guys?"

Once he had their attention he sighed and pulled his bag into lap.

"I promise you theres a very reasonable explanation okay?"

Suitably confused the trio exchanged looks before turning back to see Ren produce an absurdly massive container of rice and curry from his bag and set it on the table with a weighty thunk that left everyone stunned.  
Ren tapped his finger on his chin before speaking far too plainly for the situation.

"So, I made a bit too much"

"Dude I'll say! What the hell!?"

As Makoto looked at enormous amount of curry on the table she suddenly felt concerned for the boys diet, and was worried he may not be eating enough in his own time.

"You um, weren't planning on having all of that were you?"

"No! Look I got some bad news yesterday from my uncle so I was pretty bummed out when I got back home.  
But Sakura-san said he'd teach me Leblanc's curry recipe to, in his words, help me stop looking like a wet cat.  
I tried the recipe on my own that night for dinner and I uh-"

He punctuated his statement by pulling the lid off to waft the aroma of rich spices, delicately stewed beef and savory vegtables around the table that caused everyone to begin craning the heads forward in hunger.

"-made a bit more than I thought. I managed to replace the ingredients I used thankfully but I didn't want to leave evidence of my shame so I kind of just, put it all in the biggest container I could find."

Ryuji was visibly salivating as he leaned over the table before wiping his mouth and looking at Ren with determination in his eyes.

"Bro, we can do this. We'll conquer this for sure!"

Makoto and Ann shared a look of understanding, knowing just what they had planned today and that they couldn't afford to have one of their members sidelined due to stomach troubles.

"Say, why don't we all have some! That way Ryuii doesn't get sick again like you did when you told me you could do two big bang burger challenges back to back."

"Hey I totally can! I just knew my own limits that day is all."

"Oh you found your limit alright."

Makoto smiled and packed away her salad, the scent of the curry further awakening her appetite.  
As she got up from the table she looked over to Ren.

"Why don't we go find some plates and utensils for all of us."

Ren nodded with a sheepish grin and got up himself to follow her.

"Lets just hope the microwave is free."

Once they had found the plates and heated up the curry the smell became intoxicating and Makoto had to stop herself from diving in before she sat down.  
Ren surprised them all further when he placed cups down for them and pulled out a thermos to pour them all cups of still steaming coffee.  
Save for Ryuji it seemed as he handed him a colorful soda he got for him from the vending machine on the way back.

"The curry goes best with some of Leblancs coffee but I know you don't like bitter drinks Ryuji. Though I would encourage at least a taste test."

Ryuji shrugged and took a small sip from Rens cup, his espression scrunching up soon after in a way that made Makoto and Ann giggle.

"Blehhh, nope. Not for me my dude. Thanks for the soda though."

Ryuhi popped the lid of his can of cola and took a generous swig to wash the flavor from his mouth as Ren chuckled.

"Well, I'm thankfull you tried at least. I hope you all enjoy it, and again, thanks for helping me out. Shoulder was getting a little stiff carrying it all around in my bag."

They all treated themselves to a luxurious meal and Makoto couldn't help but feel like Morgana was missing out as he was currently on his walk and she was having quite possibly the best curry she'd had in her life.  
Ren was right that the coffee, delectible in It's own right, only further enhanced the subtle flavors of the curry in exciting ways.

Before she knew it her plate was clear and she was far from the only one.

"Ren! That was exceptional! I've never had anything quite like it."

"Now I'm not usually a fan of curry, since I prefer sweets but I am aboslutely swinging by this cafe you're staying at if this is what your guradian makes!"

Ren rubbed the back of head grining from ear to ear and Makoto couldn't help but find him cute as a soft blush crept into his cheeks from the compliments, and then hers once she realized what she had just thought.

"Heh, if you like my first attempt this much then just wait till you all try the real deal. Sakura-san is a master when it comes to curry, though I do think I'm coming up on him when it comes to my coffee."

Up until this point Makoto had been taking the smallleat sips she could of her coffee as to make it last longer, and her eyes went wide when she realized Ren had actually brewed it.

"I had no idea cooking was also one of the talents you boasted of Ren."

"I told you, got a lot of skills under my belt." 

As Ann finished her last bite of curry with a pleased hum she joined in the conversation.

"Any other surprises you got waiting for us huh Ren? We gonna find out you're a master surgeon next as well as a great cook?"

The boy in question chuckled and Ren a finger through his hair, and Ann couldn't help but notice his happy expression falter for just a moment before he picked it up again with a sip of coffee.

"Well I'm not half bad at shogi, I play piano, know a lot about flower arrangements, can dance if the situation calls for it and-

Ren resisted the urge to lock eyes with Makoto as he said his next words, settling instead for taking a sip of coffee after he spoke to let his statement linger.

"-I give excellent massages."

Makoto sputtered as she took a sip from her coffee, coughing just a bit before Ann patted her on the back and asked if she was alright.  
She assured her that she just must have drank wrong but Ann was wearing that smirk again that told her she knew more than she let on and before Makoto could feel the blush rise in her face she quickly changed the subject.

"Well you certainly seem like quite the cook, I'm tempted to ask you to bring us all lunch more often."

Ryuji leaned back with a stretch and a grin.

"Fo' real dude! And that curry was somethin else, feel like I could take on the whole palace now!"

His eyes flew open and he could feel the sweat begin to gather on his brow as Makoto and Ann gave him incredulous looks, Ren however just cocked an eyebrow and raised his coffee cup.

"Take on the Palace? Heh, I'm just gonna guess thats a city saying for energized since it's going right over my head."

Ren sipped his coffee with a slight smile and the others breathed a small sigh of relief as he continued, writing off Ryuji's strange saying.

"Well, if it makes you feel that way then you all should come by Leblanc sometime so you can try the real deal. I consider myself good at their coffee and curry but Sakura-san is the real master at it."

Ann perked up at that, no longer twisting a lock of her hair as she cooed with delight at the thought.

"Ooh I totally forgot you live above a café! It all sounds so romantic."

"I thought so too at first but the cold drafts and the dust kind of kill that, but It's still quite comfortable.  
So do you all have plans after your study sessions today?"

The trio shared a look and Morgana made his stealthy re-appearance known from Makoto's bag and gave a whispered meow to them all.

"It sounds like this Leblanc might be a good place to get supplies for the metaverse trips, the coffee could really be useful in long runs."

Makoto nodded, reaching down to scratch behind his ear the way Ren had done the other day causing him to purr in such a way that Makoto couldn't help but smile.

Ann and Ryuji voiced their agreement and excitment at the thought, and Makoto couldn't help but admit that a visit to a cafè sounded quite nice.  
As the other students around them began to pack up and move about it became clear that lunch would soon be over so Ren packed away his oversized container and went off to dispose of their trash,leaving the trio of thieves alone for a moment to gather their things and head out.

Makoto was about to do so when she was stopped by Ann asking her fellow blond a question.

"Ryuji? Something on your mind?"

She hadn't really known what to look for but it appeared this was Ryuji's pensive look, one she at first read as slight indegestion but she waited for his response all the same as he looked up.

"..Do we want to tell Ren about all of this? What we're doing?  
I mean, he seems hella reliable and he already has a bone to pick with Kamoshida.."

Ann's brow furrowed and she wrapped her arms around herself, mulling over Ryuji's words.

"Huh. I guess he would be a pretty good member of the team, but.."

She looked lost in thought for a moment before Morgana spoke up to the group.

"He may give good scritches but I'm still wary about him. I can't shake the feeling he's got a lot of secrets."

They all seemed to nod at that,and while Makoto didn't fully agree with Morgana's wariness she felt he couldn't join them for another much more important reason.

"Involving him in this might only make things worse for his situation, with his probation theres no telling how what kind of problems would occur with him being close to the investigation."

"What could cause problems for me?"

All three went wide eyed and whirled to face Ren's voice as he walked back to grab his bag with a curious look to them all.

Ann twisted a lock of hair again, her tell Makoto realized as she rattled off an excuse.

"O-oh! We were just worried us coming over might cause problems with your guardian or uh, your probation and all that.."

Ren smiled as he adjusted his bag.

"Thanks for the concern but It'll be alright. Boss will be happy to have some younger clientele in the cafè for once. We all okay to meet up at the train station?" 

Just after they all nodded, the sharp ring of the bell signaled lunches end.  
Ren screwed on the lid to his half full thermos and held it out for Makoto and leaned in close.

"To help keep you all energized while you study, or investigate that is."

He didn't give her much chance to reply however once she tentatively took it since once she did he was off with a wave and a smile.

Once he had left and they all had gathered their things, the thieves shared a look of agreement and an acknowledgement to reconvene later before they all went their seperate ways. 

However none of them noticed the gaze of a certain P.E teacher watching from the hall across from them, not how his gaze narrowed on a certain transfer student as they walked away.

4/14, After school, student council room

The rest of the school day had thankfully been uneventfull for Makoto who currently was just finishing up paperwork when she got the group text asking if they were meeting up.

Before she replied though she looked down at the cat, or not cat, curled up in her bag.

"Morgana, do you think we're ready to go back in?"

Their feline guides eyes shot open and he instantly bounded from her bag onto the table to face her.

"Absolutely. We've got gear to protect us and food to keep us energized, While I would have liked to get some more medicine whay ypu brought will have to do."

Makoto felt a broad grin cross her features as she typed up her response, and at the near instant responses from both of them when she told them to once again come to the Student council room.

'Soon' 

She thought to herself as the roar of an engine filled her mind.

'You're days here are numbered Kamoshida.' 

When Ren saw Ann and Ryuji make their way past him, the looks of determination clear on their faces he had considered opening up the app and hopping into the metaverse to once again help from the shadows but he restrained himself this time.

He knew that they would need to have adversity if they were going to get stronger, and him holding their hand now at this critical moment would only hinder them.  
Now that Ann and Ryuji had awoken to their personas they would make a formidible team in the palace, more than a match for what remained after he cleared out those oddly powerful shadows; besides, he was looking forward to having them all over to Leblanc later.

But as he was making his way to the exit, walking the nearly empty halls as most students had left, he felt a muscular hand grip his shoulder as he rounded the corner.

"Amamiya. Let's talk."

The voice he knew well and it only made his blood boil as the hand pulled him around the corner to be see the livid face of Kamoshida

The former olympian looked like he was barely containing his fury as he led the delinquent to his office, still keeping his firm hold that only grew tighter as he walked.  
Ren's eyes were frantically looking around for some way to get out of this situation.

"I know you were the one who did it Amamiya. And that you've involved your "friends" in on whatever your foolish little plan was."

Ren merely cocked an eyebrow his way despite feeling his heart hammer like that of a cornered rat.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

The closer they got to the stairs leading to the second floor the more anxious Ren grew but it spiked to an all time high when just before they reched the steps they ran into a familar figure rounding the corner in front of them.

"Mr.Amamiya! Just who I was looking for."

The too tight grip on his shoulder softened and became a friendly pat as they both came face to face with Ms.Kawakami who looked like she was in quite a huff.

"Mr.Amamiya I've been looking everywhere for you, your guardian is already here in my classroom for our meeting and we've been waiting for you."

Ren blinked, but caught on to the surprising lie quickly enough as he said a quick apology.  
Out of the corner of his eye he could see the polite smile Kamoshida always wore shift into an angered grimace for a brief moment before his mask was back with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Sorry Kawakami-san, I was just talking to the transfer student about a possible future in athletics. Someone needs to keep an eye on him to stop him from getting into trouble."

He smacked Ren on the back a little too hard and sent him stumbling forward slightly.

"We'll continue our talk tomorrow won't we Amamiya?"

Ren straightened himself, grimacing slightly before giving a brief nod which was enough for Kamoshida as he quickly made his way up the stairs to his office.

Kawakami gripped him by the arm with strength that reminded him of when she taught him how to give deep tissue massages and she lead him back down the hall to her homeroom class.

She opened the door and ushured him inside, the impatient look on her face brooking no argument.  
She locked the door with a click and let a long held breath loose as she made her way to her desk to pour a cup of coffee from her thermos.  
Ren followed her over as she sat down in her chair, her expression as she faced him one of slight annoyance but Ren also felt the hints of worry in her eyes.

"You mind telling me what was going on there?"

"Something bad. Which I'm assuming you also gathered since you lied for me."

Kawakami's brow furrowed as she sipped from her cup, sighing at It's pleasent flavor and warmth before setting it down and pressing her fingers to the sides of her temples as she closed her eyes.

"..You're right. But I also heard a a great deal before I rounded that corner."

She leaned back in her chair, coffee cup on the table and arms crossed as her glare at him intensified.

"You're lucky I was there. If you're more involved in Niijima-san's investigation than you've let on then life is only going to be difficult for you here with you this close to such a delicate situation.  
Now, what what Kamashida-san talking about?"

Kamoshida's palace

"You..executed your personas?!"

Mona stared at Queens newest persona utterly aghast at her explanation to which Makoto merely shrugged before she was lost in thought once again.

Genbu, her newest persona who took the form of a large black backed tortoise with a spindly red dragon for a tail, had just finished dispatching a group of succubi with a flurry of ice shards and then slowly faded into Queens shadow once more.

Queen could feel the icy chill that still tinged the air as she pulled out her notebook, jotting a quick reminder to watch Genbu's power the next time she summoned it; she had originally intended to capture one of the succubi but the power of Genbu's ice had proved far more than she had expected.

As she scribbled away, fully lost in her notes she failed to notice Morgana's still completely floored expression but she snapped out of it when she heard a soft chuckle and felt a light jab tap on her shoulder.

She blinked and looked up to see Panther smile at her before going over and patting Mona on the head, their poor guide looked like they were in the middle of an existential crisis but thankfully calmed at Panthers's touch.

"There there little guy, I have a feeling we're gonna need to get used to Queen surprising us"

Slightly embaressed she put her notebook away and knelt down to help Skull gather up all the loose Yen.

"O-oh, sorry about that. But yes, that was what I was doing earlier when you all saw me stand still at the castle entrance. It's.."

Morgan's tail went rigid again and his eyes widened.

"You mean to tell me you went into your mind and killed the personas you captured?! Thats like killing your own heart!"

Queen frowned in thought for a moment; it would be rather difficult to explain the situation with Igor, the wardens, not to mention her deal and the prison where she was forced to execute two of the personas she had captured to reforge them.  
The action still left a bitter taste in her mouth, as well as Igors insistance at the time to execute Joganna; but while she had promised to do anything to avert the coming ruin she couldn't part with Johanna just yet.  
Rather than explain the specifics of all of that, she settled on simply telling part of the truth at least for now.

"Well, not exactly. I still have Johanna and she was the actualization of my 'will of rebellion' as you called it. I don't feel hurt ny doing it so perhaps the rules work differently for me since I can wield multiple personas?"

Before she knew it her and Skull had gathered up a sizable amount of Yen much to his delight.  
She got up to face Mona now and caught him looking pensive as he took in her words.

"Hmm, perhaps. It seems Panther may be right as usual, we'll just have to get used to you having surprises.

Queen could only frown at that, stashing the Money away as she thought on the possiblity of more surprises.

'I've always hated surprises, leave it to me to cause the strangest ones with this power. It can all be explained in some way I'm sure of it, it has to be.'

She shook the thoughts from her head as she cracked her neck and addressed the group.

"Well done in that battle everyone, now lets see what in this room that shadow was guarding.

Around them were tall bookshelves built into the wall housing countless tomes as well as many tables and chairs, whatever was in this mostly open space must have been well hidden.

"Well…It's a library. I swear if this place pulls that crap of 'oh knowledge was the treasure all along!durr.' I'm gonna put this new hammer of mine to use."

As skull "searched" the room with a careless glance Panther gave a small laugh at his speech before she began pulling on larger books on the shelves seemingly at random.

"Place like this makes me think of a hidden passageway, like you pull on a hidden lever and bam! Out swings the secret door!"

Queen was ever thankful for her new third eye during all of this run through the palace, as Panther mentioned a hidden door she activated it and a blue filter enveloped the world.  
She could see the footprints they had left, how a set different than theirs had walked between several shelves were there were spaces for missing books that glowed a faint blue along with three books around the libary that glowed a similar hue.

With a smile she walked over and picked them up and read their titles;  
they were books on three different subjects, slaves, kings and queens.

"Find something interesting Queen?"

Morgana peered up at her with a curious look and she smiled and nodded befre giving out orders.

"Those three sections, there there and there. Lets read what kind of material is on those shelves, I think we have to put these books in their proper places."

They spread out as there was only three and Mona jumped at any chance to help when Panther was as well, Skull leaned against the back wall taking a moment to rest his eyes.

"Ugh, a lot of the books here are talking about 'The great and mighty King Kamoshida' I'm so done."

As Panther angrily shoved the book she was holding back on the shelf Mona gave cry of disgust from where he was searching that drew everyones attention.

"These books talk about the girls at Shujin and about how they only have 'one use', It offends the gentleman in me greatly!"

While Mona seethed from across the room Queen had finished skimming through her section as well, finding it detailing sections on the boys of Shujin abut how useless they were and even went into detail about one Ryuji Sakamoto and his many faults.  
For the first time in possibly ever Queen felt anger on behalf of a friend churn within her at the words and she slammed the book shut with a huff, the resounding clap thankfully enough to get everyones attention.

"Alright! I think I know how these all go then."

One by one the books found their original shelves and then with a loud clunk a section of wall pulled away to reveal a hidden room, the same section of Wall that Skull was leaning against sadly.

He fell backward through the newly revealed heavy red curtains with a cry of surprise, but he shot back up a monent later with a look of shock on his face as he looked at them all.

"Guys..It's uh, real bad in there and I don't know if you need to see it." 

The way Mona rolled his eyes was practically auduble as he spoke with a huff.

"Don't you go hiding the treasure we worked for Skull! Come on let's just-"

"It ain't treasure!"

The sudden panic in his voice made them all take a step back in surprise as he took a deep breath.

"Look, theres nothing good in there so lets-"

"..Master? Have you returned?"

They all stiffened at the eerily familiar voice, Ryuji bit his lower lip, wincing at the sound and Panther looked over to Queen with a sorrowful expression while Mona only looked between them all confused. 

Queen felt a brief fear grip her heart, before the roar of an engine filled her mind and drove her forward as she stepped toward the curtain and put a hand on Skull's shoulder.

He looked her in the eye with a look of apology, and she nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, but If what's in there is what we think it is, then It's something I should face. Wouldn't you want to?"

He blinked in thought for a moment, never have considered it until now and as she watched his brow crease she knew he had his answer.  
He looked to Panther before reaching out and grabbing her hand and then her own as he met her gaze.

"Then we do it together."

Ann gave a soft sniffle and a firm nod as she stepped closer.

"We do it as one or as none! At least I think thats a saying heh."

The sound of a sword being drawn drew all three's attention down to Mona.

"Hmm, It sounds like whats in there is something important for you to face, best to have someone stand guard then lest get ambushed."

His back was straight and sword at the ready in a clear display of a proper guard.

Queen smiled as she went over and knelt down to give him a small hug from behind. 

"It is important. But you can join us, you're a part of this team too and we wouldn't be able to confront this if it weren't for you."

Reluctant to turn around Queen merely saw his tail swish back and forth as he shook his head.

"No can do! Someone needs to make sure you're all safe while you're in there."

He turned his head slightly to meet Queen's eyes and gave a slightly pleading look as he whispered.

"Plus I wanna look cool and respectful for Lady Ann, think it's working?"

She rose to her feet, giving a small genuine laugh at his question and scritched the back of his ear.

"Totally"

With that she turned back to join her peers and all three parted the red curtains to the horror within.  
Instantly all three could feel the room heat up several degrees as Panther's heat bloomed beside them at what they all saw.

Pictures of Shujin girls lined the walls, snapshots of memories from the vile king.

A heart shaped bed of luxuious red silk sat at the far wall, It's backboard home to many chains and heavy ropes. Beside it a manackled and collared female figure stood.

Queen could barely recognize Kamoshida's cognition of her, dressed in a revealing maids uniform and looking as lifeless as she did.

Blankly the false Makoto turned to face them and gave a deep bow, clutching the silver platter she held to the chest that rattled the chains on her wrists.

"Hello. None of you are Master but I will serve as best I can, how can I be of service?"

The figure before her was weary and beaten, the collar and manacles leaving clear harsh red lines on the skin, and the way it spoke to them sent a chill up her spine.

Queen didn't bother to keep the snarl out of her voice as she spoke and stepped forward.

"So this is how he see's me is it? Some robotic servant!? Bastard.."

In a flash of blue flame the revolver appeared in her hand, finger on the trigger as she raised it and fired.

She was thankful at least that she didn't have to see a version of herself die with any emotion as the false being vanished in a puff of black smoke the moment the bullet connected.

On her right she felt a hand on her shoulder, while on her left a hand gripped her own tightly. 

She blinked away the tears she hadn't realized formed as she looked into the caring expressions of her friends  
asking unspoken questions to which she nodded.  
They both wrapped their arms around her, and after a few moments she felt soft paws envelop her leg from behind. 

She gave a heartfelt laugh, feeling the joy and anger and all at once as they shared this moment.

Skull was the first to pull back.

"Hey, I got an Idea. Zio!"

He flung his arm outward and the cannon of Captain Kidd appeared beside it letting loose an explosive bolt of lightning that turned the bed into a splintered crater.

A beat of silence hung in the air. before a peel of laughter from all four broke the tension.

Ann stepped forward next, raising her hands outward with a cry of "Agi!" As the walls and all their hidious pictures curled in the withering flames. 

They stood there for a moment longer, watching this den of lust burn before they all strode out, hacking ungracefully on smoke.

Once they had all recovered Queen turned to her friends, her partners in crime, and slammed her fists together with a vicious grin that was clear on their faces as well.

"Let's go make this bastard pay team!"

Shujin Academy, Homeroom

Turmoil gripped Ren's heart, he had the evidence to show her right then and there and she has shown her support in helping Makoto with her investigation, but showing her would certainly put her in more danger than was necessary.  
He opened his mouth to speak a comforting lie, something to ease her mind before she got too caught up in it.

But the words never came. All he was remembering was the promise he made to himself not long ago, to trust.  
Not trusting people enough is what got his original world destroyed and landed him here afterall.

Kawakami raised an eyebrow at him as she drummed her fingers on her arm expectantly, and he grimaced as he pulled out his phone.

"I took something from kamoshida. Something important to him that is abhorent and vile."

Her eyes went wide as she pulled up to her desk.

"It'll change a lot for you and will show you just how much he's been abusing his students and making their lives hell. Are you sure you want to know about it this way?"

Kawakami knit her fingers together on her desk, knuckles growing white with tension as she frowned, she thought back to what happened with Takase-kun and how she was still paying for her inaction and failure as a teacher.

Ren knew by the look of deep thought on her face she was thinking about her situation with the last student she tried to help, and how horribly wrong her getting involved went from her perspective.  
He smiled and felt relief swell within him as she looked up and nodded, the determination clear on her features.

"Yes. If theres something I can do to help my students, then I should! Shouldn't I?"

Her last words were said softly, more as a question to herself and she had this strange feeling that she also wanted his answer, wanted to tell this young man everything that has been plaguing her and let him know about the situation she was lost in.  
She shook the thought from her head when she saw him tap a few times on his phone before sliding it over the table facedown over to her.

He let go of it, but as she reached for it he spoke up once more giving her pause.

"I promise I'll explain all I can once you see it, and I'm certain you won't like the explanation, but It's all I was able to do."

Her browed wrinkled even further as she turned over the phone to see he had brought up a file filled with images, what little she could see of them already set her pulse quickening in fear that became grief as she clicked on one to expand it.

Her hand shot to her mouth in a gasp, grip growing tighter on the phone at the image she saw and that grief began to turn to anger.  
Anger at Kamoshida, that vile bastard for doing something so horrible, and anger at herself for not having noticed that her own students could have been enduring all of this without her noticing.

The phone clattered to the desk as she felt herself begane to shake and she forced herself to swallow to speak.

"..H-how..how did you get this."

"I had a friend hack into his phone and steal it, I left a message for him with the threat of releasing it if he touches anybody else."

Her eyes shot open even wider, staring at Ren in shock at what he had just told her.

"Amamiya-san t-this should go to the police! This should-"

"The police won't be able to do anything!"

She was taken aback at his sudden raised voice, heavy with grief and frustration.

"With only this theres deniablity, ways he could worm his way out of it and since it was illegily obtained then.."

"..Then you would go to juvenile hall."

His lips pressed into a firm line as he looked away and nodded. 

It was at tha moment that she realized she barely knew anything about this boy, she was about ready to confess everything to him not moments before like he was her oldest friend and yet she didn't even know the full story of what landed him here.  
One thing was clear however and that, was that he didn't trust the police to stick to their justice. And she wondered if that was due to what he had been through already at their hands.

"..You're right. This won't be enough will it? So what's your plan?" 

Ren gave a sigh of relief at her words before he hardened his gaze.

"We gather as much information as we can, then I'm going to leak it to M-Niijima-sans sister.  
She's a prosecutor and I'm certain she'll act on this."

Kawakami sighed and was about to say more when she heard a conversation strike up between two passing teachers in the hallway that faded as they walked past.  
Shaking her head she looked him dead in the eye and whispered.

"I know we said to never bring it up but, request me againt tonight. We'll talk more about this then."

Before Ren could respond she got up and walked to the door, waiting for him to come as well.

"Come on, It's best if I walk you to the entrance in case of-"

Her gaze narrowed in seething hatred as she looked off into the distance.

"-an unwanted encounter. Let's go."

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Ren walked with her to the front gate, eternally thankful they hadn't run into Kamoshida on the way back.  
As he made his way to the train station to wait for his friends he only hoped that they were having an easier time in the palace, and felt with confidence that Makoto would lead them to a faster victory than he had achieved last time.

A bolt of shimmering lightning struck into the side of red armored knight's mount, causing it to fall on it's knees as Skull tagged out to Queen for the follow up.

"Knock em dead!"

He clapped hands with her as she rushed in, fists ready and raised as she rained blow after blow upon the downed shadow.  
In retaliation the knight sluggishly drove it's spear forward to impale her with a roar and would have had she not backflipped away, drawing her revolver in the process and raising It high to fire a round right between It's visor.

The shadow gave one last mournful cry before vanishing into a cloud of black dust, leaving behind a sizable amount of Yen, and the eye key they needed for them to collect.

"Looking cool Queen!"

"Nice! That's the last one we need right?"

Queen gave a victoious grin and a nod to Panther as they made their way to the nearby saferoom to recovery before they moved on.

Once there Mona took Panther aside to tend to her injuries from that last fight so Makoto poured her the final cup of Ren's coffee and placed it before her with a smile that Panther returned heartily as she sipped the still hot drink.

She wasn't sure what it was about that coffee, maybe It was because they had appreciated it so much in the real world that caused it to have such a vivid impact here but the fact remained that they would need more of it for any future battles.

As she did her stretches to keep herself from getting tense, Queen looked over and saw Skull sit down on the couch with a wince.  
He lifted his leg up onto the table and began to massage around his calf with a grimace; she knew of his injury of course and who had inflicted it, but it dawned on her that she had yet to learn the why of that situation and resolved to remedy that as she walked over to sit beside him.

He met her gaze with a broad grin, as encouraging as always.

"Heya Queen, that was a good tag team in that last battle huh?"

She nodded and brushed a hair behind her ear, smiling at the memory of pulling off a successful maneuver.

"Yes, you did a wonderful job of leaving them open.  
I just wanted to ask how you were doing with your injury?"

His smile faltered for a moment yet she couldn't place why, but he nodded and stretched out his leg to loosen the strain.

"Yeah I'll be okay, you don't gotta worry about me though this won't hold me or anyone else back."

Queen took care with her next question, taking in his words as best she could and hoping that she wouldn't upset him.

"Of course. If I may ask, I know how it happened but not what lead up to it? Would you mind if-"

As she spoke she could see hus brow begin to furrow and mouth press into a hard line and she quickly felt the need to try and salvage the situation.

"I-I mean! You don't have to tell me obviously, I completely understand and of course you wouldn't want to-"

Her cut off rambling with a small laugh and a playful jab into her arm.

"Heh, It's all good. Only right you should know with everything we're going through. See, Kamoshida and I never saw eye to eye with the track team-"

Queen listened intently as he spoke, taking in all the pain that was in his words as he told her of what he and his fellow track mates experienced under Kamoshida that caused it to boil over into violence.  
She felt her rage at the injustice of what Kamoshida had done not just to him, but to his mother when he explained why he never tried to go against him again.

As he finished his story he did one last stretch of his leg and nodded before looking back to her.

"It was a lot to go through, but I promise that It's only made meresolve to kick his ass all the more now. I won't be a burden to you when we have to face him."

Queen could only blink before she shook her head and stood, offering him her hand to pull him up.

"Skull, you've never been a burden. I'm glad to have you fighting by my side."

He looked taken aback by her words for a moment before he grinned wildly before grasping her forearm, she pulled him to his feet and he nodded resolutely before suddenly looking sheepish.

"Hey um. Thanks. Didn't know how much I needed to hear that ya know?"

He shook his head, saw out of the corner of his eye that Panther was looking better after her healing and looked back to Queen before he pounded his fists together.

"Alright! Let's go steal this bastards rotten heart!"

The world slowed slightly for Queen, and she somehow felt like her bond with Ryuji had deepened in that moment as the world returned to It's proper pace and she returned his grin, nodding in agreement.

With their body and mind now rested and their goal clear before them they left the safe room, making their way foward to bring about the justice they so desired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants-  
> The Magician: Rank 1
> 
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> The Chariot: Rank 2
> 
> The lovers: Rank 1
> 
> The Moon: Rank 1
> 
> Phew! Sorry for the long wait folks, been a hectic and busy week for me amd my family.  
> Once I got the chance to sit down and write however the chalter just flowed and became much longer than I thought it would be.
> 
> I've always felt like Kawakami was one of Ren most important confidants and, for me at least, she was always the first I maxed and the first to find out he was a phantom thief so I like the idea of him realizing he can rely on her more this go around.
> 
> Ryuji remains the heart of the team and is always looking out for his friends, would be rough for Makoto to see how Kamoshida cognition of her but with her friends she could pull through it all. 
> 
> The treasure route will be secured and discussions of the calling card will be next chapter, as well as the possible resolution to this palace is things go well.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and It's been flooring me how many people have read it and taken interest in it, you all give me drive to see this story to It's conclusion so thank you all :)


	15. Don't need to be an expert

4/14 Tuesday, Aoyama-Itchome Train station, After school

Ren was beginning to grow fearful; the phone in his hand had yet to buzz or ring or do anything to indicate his friends were out of the palace and on their way.

'Did I make a mistake? Maybe I should have gone in with them and covered them from the beginning.'

Ren ran a hand through his fluffy hair with a sigh and smoothed back the dark locks as a way to shake those doubts from his mind, then his eyes went wide as he pulled up his phone to text Sojiro.

'Can't believe I almost forgot to let him know I was coming back with company.'

Ren: Hey Boss, hows business?

The fact his guardians reply came soon after told him everthing he needed to know.

Sojiro: Slow, just the regulars today. You on your way back yet or are you stopping somewhere first? 

Ren: Waiting at the station, was wondering If I could bring some friends I made back to show them Leblanc and treat them to some coffee.

Sojiro: Already made friends huh? Thats good, will make the monthly report I have to give to your parol officer look better.  
Sure bring em by, you share all that curry you made last night with them?

Ren couldn't help but smile at that, nothing got past Boss after all.

Ren: I did. It was a big hit so I told them that they should try some of the real deal from the curry master.  
And uh, how'd you know?

Sojiro: The groceries in the fridge aren't the ones I bought.  
Thanks for restocking at least, I'll ask you more about your curry when you get back.

As he was typing up his reply he felt sweet relief when he saw a message from Ann pop up on his phone.

Ann: Hey RenRen! Sorry to make you wait, we're all on our way to the station, keep an eye out for us!

Ren: I see thats still a thing, damn you Ryuji. But no worries! Haven't been waiting long, and I have a feeling it won't be hard to spot you all.

He leaned against the backwall of the bench with a contented sigh; they were fine. While he knew they wouldn't fill him in on their palace exploits he only hoped they made good progress today.

He sat up from the bench, knowing that with how he looked he easily blended into crowds so he would have to keep a weather eye out for his approaching friends.

Ryuji was tired and while he was good at hiding it he knew Ann was onto the fact that his leg was hurting him as well.  
Thankfully they spotted the tall and fluffy haired frame of good ol'Ren as Makoto waved him down.

Now that he knew what he was looking for after what Ann told him, he really could see the way Ren's face changed when he saw Makoto; hoo boy he's got it bad, not that he could blame him.

"Yo RenRen! What's bonkin?"

Ren ran a hand through his hair as he smiled at Ryuji, his oldest and silliest friend who he would always support.

"Not much what's bonkin with you?"

Ann and Makoto both groaned but Ryuji's grin doubled in size as he lightly jabbed Ann in the side while she looked dead eyed into the distance.

"Ha! See I told you he would catch on, It's cause it works Ann! It works and It's cool."

Ann merely pinched her nose and groaned out a response.

"Sure Ryuji. It just works."

Makoto adjusted her bag as she cocked her head at Ren with a sorrowful look.

"You have no idea what kind of monster you've just made. He spent practically the entire walk here trying to get us to use his new phrase and explaining how it works." 

"Ha! Well you're in luck since the train is almost here, won't have to hear it for much longer."

"Oh thank the gods."

The train ride to Yongen-Jaya was one of the most uncomfortable rides yet, with them all tightly pressed together against dozens of sweaty buisness men on their way home. 

Makoto had to keep her bag pressed tightly to her chest much to Morgana's chagrin if his soft cries of protest were anything to go by.

"Why does it smell so bad in here?"

Doing her best to keep her voice low and not look like she was talking to her bag, she unzippped it just a bit to see Morgana give the saddest expression she'd seen him make yet.

"I'm sorry, it happens a lot on the trains. People work hard and when theres a lot of them packed together…."

"I work hard and I don't smell nearly as bad!" 

Instantly he poked his face out through the zipper, scowling as best a cat-possibly-human could. 

"…I have decided I hate trains."

4/14 Yongen-Jaya, after school

"Leblanc is just up here"

Ren lead them through the winding streets of Yongen-Jaya, the people on the street seemingly familiar with him already as they all made their way past.

He paused to pet a young girls dog who very excitedly ran up to him and told him about her day in brief animated expressions before she zoomed off, stopped to help a stocker at the supermarket lift a heavy box of vegetables much to the workers thanks, and just now made a promise to an old man running a second hand shop that he would come by tomorrow with a box of books.

It struck Makoto as both odd and heartwarming how quickly he had integrated and gained the trust of his community, but it all felt a little too good to be true, a little too much too fast.  
As they rounded the corner however, and when she saw how he looked at the cafè that would be his home for the next year with such warmth in his eyes, she knew it was all genuine.

The door to Leblanc opened with the soft ringing of a bell, instantly the scent of coffee and curry spices washed over the group of teens in a way that was strangely soothing.  
The retro styled cafè was empty save for the older bearded man behind the counter in front of a wall of jarred coffee beans in a pink button up shirt, his apron worn with both ease and pride as he looked their way with a smile.

"Ah, so these must be the friends you mentioned. Welcome to Leblanc, It's nice to meet you all.  
I'm Sojiro Sakura but you all can call me Boss, so is there anything I can get you?"

Sojiro crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of beans, shooting a wry smirk towards Ren as he saw that he already made friends with two lovely young women.

"Whatever they order you're helping me make, gotta keep your skills sharp amirite?"

Ryuji and Ann introduced themselves politely, with Ann ordering a mocha and Ryuji sheepishly saying he was fine as he didn't like coffee all too much.

Sojiro nodded but offered to make the blond boy a hot chocolate which caused him to perk up something fierce, much to the old baristas delight.

As Ren made his way behind the counter and donned an apron of his own Sojiro turned his warm and friendly smile to her.

"Anything we can whip up for you miss..?"

She returned the warm smile, but panicked slightly when she realized that she hadn't put any thought into what she wanted.

"Niijima, Makoto Niijima. Thank you so much for allowing us all to come visit here and, I'm not much of a coffee drinker so I suppose I'll have a cup of whatever your favorite roast is."

The older man nodded with a smile, his arms once crossed with his hand on his chin now found their way to his hips as he looked back at Ren.

"Heh, glad you could find friends with some good manners. Maybe they'll be able to show you a thing of two."

Ren reached over to the wall of coffee beans and pulled a jar off, Jamaican blue mountain from what Makoto could read of the label and Sojiro sent a knowing smirk his way that caused him to blush for a reason she couldn't quite fathom.

"Let's just get to work Boss"

"Now that's what I like to hear. You three feel free to take a booth and get comfortable, I'll have this guy back to ya once the drinks are ready."

The trio gathered at a booth to the back of the cafè, hoping to have some private conversation while their drinks were prepared.

Makoto set down her bag with Morgana beside her and he gathered their attention as he poked his head out to address the group.

"We've secured our path to the treasure gang, now all thats left is to send a calling card. It's gotta be somewhere the target won't miss it, and something that will rile up his inner world to materalize the treasure. So does any-"

"Excuse me?"

Hearing Sojiros voice call to them from the coffee pots made them all stifen, and Makotos eyes went wide when she realized he was in fact calling to her.

"Um, y-yes?"

The barista cocked an eyebrow at her, mouth now a hard line as he crossed his arms.

"Do you have a cat in your bag?"

She looked briefly to the others but found they simply shrugged as to what to do so she was on her own.

"Oh! Well, yes. You see he's, um.."

"He's her emotional support animal."

Ren saved her from a bumbling lie as he approached from Sakura-sans side and whispered in his ear before going back to grinding beans.  
Whatever he said made his eyes go wide and he nodded in understanding as he turned back to her with a smile once more on his face.

"He's a cute one, sure makes himself known when he wants attention. He's fine while you're here just don't go letting him wander around the place alright?"

Makoto gave a hurried nod as Sakura-san shook his head softly and went back to preparing the coffee and she gave a sigh of relief once it was clear they had privacy again.

Morgana finished his question in the barest of whispers, now more aware of how noisy he could be.

"Anybody have any ideas about how to send the calling card?" 

Makoto put forth the idea of pinning the cards they made in the palace to the school notice board since she was there before most students, but Ann correctly pointed out that that would only make her a suspect when they were noticed. 

Ann had the idea of simply slipping the card in his mailbox, but Ryuji said that he might not pay attention too it since it might be seen as junk mail. 

Ryuji's eye went wide as his gaze wandered around Leblanc until they landed on Ren and he recalled something he said to him the day they met.

"Guys, I got an idea. What about his car? No way he could miss that, and with how many we made everyone at school will see!"

Makoto smiled at her friend, proud that he was the one who came up with the best idea so far.

"An excellent idea Ryujj! Now we just have to figure out how to get them all there without being noticed."

Ryuji cracked his neck with a grin.

"You leave that to me. I got a plan."

The clink of coffee mugs drew their attention over to the counter where Ren was arranging their drinks on a tray and was about to bring it over to them when he was stopped by Sojiro with a shake of his head and a dry chuckle.

"Hey now, these are your friends right? Why don't you take it upstairs then, you spend so much time cleaning up there I bet It's presentable."

Ren nodded and smiled at his guardian.

"Thanks Boss, that's real kind of you."

Sojiro seemed like he was trying his best to be gruff again as he lit his cigarette and looked away, waving his ward off. Careful observation however would show he still had a small smile as he watched them all ascend the stairs.  
Once more the cafè floor was empty save for the lone barista who allowed himself a small laugh as he thought about Ren.

"Heh, that kid has already made all kinds of friends this quickly and with his rep..damn it he really does remind me of me."

"Whoahh dude! You got so much space up here! And have like absolutely nothing!"

Ryuji quickly made himself at home on the couch as he took in Ren's living space, marveling at what little the young man actually possessed.

"And you got a working CRT and a Famidrive! Duuuude I'm totally coming over more often to play games!"

Ren laughed as he pulled several folding chairs off the backwall to arrange arounf the table, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the impluse buy Ryuji was fawning over.

"Yeahhh haven't really had the chance to touch it yet. Been busy ya know?"

Ann sat down next to Ryuji, hungrily eyeing the fresh steaming Mocha that was waiting before her.

"What do you even do for fun? You goin out to all those clubs in shinjuku at night? So far all I know if that you study all the time and work at strange shops"

Makoto pulled up a chair and sat her bag down in another, Morgana immedietly jumped out of the bag much to her panic but she calmed once Ren assured her that it was fine.

"Feel free to let him get cozy. I'm sure he won't make a mess or anything aaand he's already asleep on my bed."

Sure enough Morgana was now soundly snoozing in the sunbeam streaming through the window, curled up in a tight ball of fluff on Ren's neatly made bed.

"I-Im so sorry! I'll get him off right now."

"He's alright Makoto, not like I'm alergic or anything."

For a second Makoto was confused by Ren's expression as he looked at the sleeping Morgana seeming almost, for lack of better word, wistful.  
But just as soon as she noticed he turned back to Ann with a smile.

"Well working odd jobs hasn't expanded beyond here and the airsoft shop at the moment. I've been helping out the doctor nearby but that hasn't been so much fun as it was enlightening."

Makoto perked up as he mentioned a doctor and she saw out of the corner of her eye that Morgana did as well.

"Oh? theres a doctor nearby?"

Ren looked lost in thought for a moment as he cradled his coffee but snapped to attention with Makoto's question.

"Hm? Oh! Yes, Dr.Takemi's clinic. She's got a bad rep from the general hospitals but It's all a load of crap. Really she's a wonderful doctor with great, albeit bitter, medicine.  
You need an appointment?"

With the knowledge that the medicine they sorely needed could be at hand Makoto nodded with vigor.

"Yes actually, though you say she has a bad reputation?"

"Yeah but trust me It's all a crock of lies. She's dependable, bit standoffish at first but real sweet once you get to know her. And she helps people, more than a doctor typically does."

Ryuji finally pulled himself away from his hot cocoa enough to give a dry laugh, ignoring the large brown foam mustache he now sported as he looked at Ren.

"Ha! Sounds like a lot like you RenRen!"

"Yeah! I've known you for like, days at best and I already know you're someone I can rely on, aaand are a total softie from what Shihos told me."

Ren brought a hand to his chest and gasped in an incredulous way.

"How dare! I'm a hardened criminal afterall! Why just listen to what everyone says at school, currently I'm trying to convert several boys to a yakuza gang and I'm so good at it I didn't even know I was!"

Everyone had a good laugh at his mock outrage, but Makoto couldn't help but tighten her hands around her cup as a question wouldn't stop rattling around her mind.

When she looked up from her mug she saw Ann had a similiar expression and they both nodded in an undertsanding as she broached the topic first.

"Hey Ren? I know It's easy to joke about but..you mind if we ask what happened to you?"

Seeing her moment Makoto interjected.

"It must be difficult going through all of this, so if you'd rather not share we'll understand. Just like we hope you know that none of us buy into those rumors."

There was a few heartbeats of silence as Ren took a long sip from his coffee, before looking up with a smile.

"It's alright, I'm fine with discussing it. And Ryuji?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for not telling, even though It's them."

"Of course man, wouldn't dream of telling." 

Ryuji leaned back, basking in his pride as he sipped his hot cocoa while the girls stared at him incredulously.

"Why you both looking at me like that!? I can totally keep secrets!"

Ann put her hands up to placate him with a small laugh.

"Just, surprising is all! I remember back in middle school you let slip about-"

"Don't you go blabbin! That was so embaressing for me come on.."

The clink of a coffee mug onto a plate drew their attention back to Ren who was softly laughing to himself.

"Just so Ryuji doesn't have to spill his guts, It's only fair I tell you both what I told him.  
About my "crime" and how it put me here."

He told his story succinctly, like he had done it a dozen times over but Ann could see how much it still hurt him to think about it.

The way he talked about that woman, he said that he didn't blame her for it at all but she could tell that there was still a hint a malice there; really she could understand, she felt it too as he went into detail.

In this moment Makoto couldn't help but feel a sense of vindication.  
She was right from the beginning; that something about the report seemed off, that he wasn't the criminal people were making him out to be and that he truly was as good as she felt him to be.  
But it still didn't stop her doubts from swarming her mind as he talked about the corrupt officers who just brushed the situation aside and sought to ruin the life of someone doing the right thing.  
Hearing that only made her thoughts on her future even more clouded, and her once grand unshakable dream of becoming a police commissioner seemed so small in that moment and she could feel her rage at the injustice of it all cloud her thoughts .

There was a single beat of silence, broken only by the shifting of leather as Ann got up from her seat and wrapped her arms silently around Ren's shoulders.  
She squeezed him tight for just a moment then pulled away with tears forming in her eyes and Makoto could swear she saw them fizzle away as she looked him dead on.

"We, we will always have your back. You know that right?"

"He better! No way in hell I'm caving in to those shitty rumors about ya!"

Makoto gripped her mug tighter now, and realized with some worry as she put it down that she may have been on the verge of breaking it before she took a deep breathe and calmed, nodding along with what the others said.

"What you experienced was truly awful, and I agree that we'll stand behind you against these spurious rumors!"

As Ann went back go her seat Ren looked away from them all with a smalll grin, scoffing for a moment before muttering a soft  
"..you guys.."

He swallowed and cleared his throat, rubbing the back if his neck as he looked at them all.

"Just, Thanks. That's all I feel like I can say. This really means a lot."

"See! A total softie!"

Though they all shared a laugh once more at Ann's words, the weighty emotions in the air were making the room feel heavy until Ryuji cleared his throat.

"Well, I think what we should be focusing on is the fact that you have Star Forneus! And how I am totally gonna whoop your ass."

Ann actually let out a small gasp as she looked at the cartridge in his Famidrive.

"What!? Ooohh you boys are going down! No way I'm loosing at this."

"Oh yeah? The last time we played I seem to recall a certain other claiming victory.."

Ryuji seemed to hold himself with a sudden air of smugness that made Ann scoff.

"Yeah yeah but that was only because you slapped the controller out of my hand you cheater!"

"Oh a cheater am I?! Well, clearly theres only one way to settle this.."

Makoto was rapidly swiveling her head between the two blonds, utterly confused by the situtation.

"Um, excuse me? What's Star Forneus?"

While Ryuji and Ann just gaped at her Ren actully chimed in to inform much to her relief.

"It's a side scrolling shoot em up game, you can play against eachother by competing to see who can get the most points. Truth be told I'm terrible at it so this is gonna be fun to watch."

The two blonds shared that peculiar look again and seemed to have several different emotions and words pass between them in silence before Ryuji gave a huff and sat down.

Ann beamed at Makoto and thrust the rectangular controller into her hands and she was suddenly aware that she had never played a video game in her life as she nervously accepted it.

"Okay I'm gonna show you the ropes in co-op, trust me this game is so much fun. Ryuji showed it to me when we were kids and It's been a rivalry with us ever since. But we'll settle that-"

Ann's expression suddenly went deadly serious as she looked at Ryuji, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then moving them like a viper to point back at Ryuji.

"-later, after you get the chance to play."

Once she had turned back Ren did his best to stifle a laugh as Ryuji pulled down an eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her, then looked away casually once her hard gaze swiveled back to him and then back to the screen as she ran Makoto through the  
Controls.

He gave a contented sigh, picking up the tray and placing the empty mugs on them.

"I'm gonna go make some more drinks, anybody want a refill?"

There was a chorus of agreement that made him smile all the more as he went back downstairs.  
Once there he saw Sojiro leaning against the counter, cigarette in one hand and Phone in another as he wrote up a text then looked his way with a small grin once Ren caught his eye.

"Can't hear much but it sounds like you're having fun up there. What's the hubbub?"

"I got a game console the other day and the one game I have is apparently where Ann and Ryuji have a rivally, but Makoto has never heard of it so they're showing it to her."

Ashing his cigarette as he put his phone away, Sojiro went about helping Ren prepare a second round of drinks.

"Heh, so thats what you spent the money I paid you on? Sheesh you're just like her.."

Ren paused, a spoonful of cocoa powder resting over a mug before he dropped it in. He knew exactly who he was talking about but this was a good chance to press it.

"Partly, I bought it broken for cheap and repaired it. By the way, who are you talking about?"

Sojiro paused his grinding of the Jamaican blue with a slow nod, a soft furrowing to his brow, seemingly satisfied that the grind was medium fine he began to doll it out into the coffee pot.

"Hmm, Futaba. My daughter. And hearing that you repair electronics too reminds me of her all the more. She's a real whiz with those sorts of things, I once got her a laptop and the first thing she did was tear it apart and put it back together from memory."

Ren nodded as he mixed the hot milk into the cocoa, making sure not to mix it too much lest it foam. Just how Sojiro taught him what felt like so long ago.

"Heh well I'm not too great at it, sounds like she could show me more than just a thing or two."

There was only the clinking of utensils and the bubbling steam of the coffee pot for several moments, but Ren knew there was a question hanging in the air he had to ask.

"Boss, I don't want to get too familiar but-"

"So don't. Easy as that."

Sojiro's words were quick, but not harsh or containing any venom.  
Spoken more out of reflex more than anything else and so Ren pressed on.

"..But do you think I'll ever meet her?"

When Sojiro closed his eyes tightly and crossed his arms, Ren worried that he had overstepped and was about to utter a hasty apology when Sojiro spoke.

"How do you do that?"

"I..what?"

Sojiro gave a long sigh, fishing another cigarette out of his pack and lighting it.  
He took the time to take a long heavy drag before he clarified his question.

"I've never told anyone about Futaba, out of safety.  
Not shame or anything like that. The girl's been through hell and if I hadn't taken her in.."

Sojiro frowned for a moment and shook his head before jabbing the cigarette accusingly at Ren.

"See that is what I'm talking about, how do you do that? When I talk with you I feel like I can just, lay all my cards on the table but It's more than that. I WANT to lay those cards out, what do you think causes that huh?"

Sojiro's voice was slightly raised now, and Ren was seeing the downside of his innate ability now as he saw the distress his guardian was in.  
so, he focused on staying true to the promise he made to himself.  
To be honest, as best as he could, and he chose his next words carefully.

"I guess, people see in me someone they can confide in even if they don't actively seek it.  
I've noticed it too, people usually need a person who won't judge or make accusations. Just someone who will listen, so if I can be that person to you and others then I'll take that in stride."

Sojiro said nothing for several moments as the coffee brewed, taking intermitent drags off his cigarette.  
Finally, with a slow nod he stubbed out his cigarette and spoke as he poured out the coffee with a soft sigh.

"Thats too heavy a burden for someone so young kid. You shouldn't have to carry my woes along with yours, but thank you.  
And, I'll run it by her. Maybe, maybe you're just the kind of person she needs."

He arranged the cups on the tray and shook his head, his casual easygoing expression returning as he gave a soft chuckle.

"But thats enough of you listening to an old fogy like me, you go hang out with your friends."

Ren for a moment felt like he should say so much more, felt as if he should rush in and hug his would be father, the one who once taught and guided him through so much and still was, but the simple fact he knew was that right now Sojiro would need space.  
So he merely offered a brief nod and a soft smile as he grabbed the tray to head upstairs.

Not far away, sitting in a dark room lit only by screens with her knees tucked into chest, a young girl listened to their exchange.  
As her fingers hovered over a textbox on her phone, she wrestled with a decision wordlessly before she sighed and placed the phone back down with a shake of her long orange hair.

When Ren came back upstairs he almost dropped the tray as a single word ripped through the air with more animosity than he thought possible.

"BULLSHIT!"

He, Ann and Ryuji all stared in awe as a truly furious Makoto gripped the controller hard enough for it to creak.  
But just as swiftly as the rage appeared it vanished as she gingerly placed the controller on the table, swept a lock of hair behind her ear as red bloomed in her cheeks and she took a deep breath.

"Um, sorry. Maybe It's best I know play these kinds of games."

"Duuude, that was awesome! But you're right it was total bullshit, old games are like that."

Ann gave a gentle laugh and rubbed Makoto's shoulder.

"You're really good at this game! Both Ryuji and I have had tons of trouble on that boss but you did super well on your first go!  
So you don't need to be an expert at it right away alright?"

Makoto blinked once Ann's words hit her, and just barely managed to fight back the sudden surge of emotions that welled within her chest as she simply smiled and gave a truly genuine laugh at this strange event.

Ren placed the tray on the table and it seemed like they only just noticed his appearance as he passed out the drinks.

"Seems like somebody has found a new potential hobby, careful they're still hot."

Makoto somehow went even more red than before as she looked at Ren, taking the mug offered to her with a shaky laugh.

"Ha, Ohh I don't really know about that."

Ryuji took a long sip of of his hot cocoa against Ren's warning and pulled away with a scalded tongue, barely manageing to wheeze out a labored  
"Worth it"  
as Ren glared at him.

"Ah! damn that was, okay you weren't foolin Ren.  
But he's also right about the other thing Makoto! Maybe one of these days we'll take you to the arcade in shibuya, introduce you to the true gamer life."

As Ann passed the controller to Ryuji Makoto gave a contented hum as she sipped the luxurious coffee, taking in the rich flavors and the possiblity of new experiences with glee.

"I, actually would quite like that."

From his seat next to Ann Ryuji gave a fist bump into the air before he hastily returned it to the controller to avoid losing already to Ann.

"sweet! Then It's settled, we can-"

Ann jabbed Ryuji in the ribs lightly and there was another brief silent exchange between the two that made Ryuji's eyes go wide and nod before he continued.

"Right, Ren you think you'd be able to take Makoto to the arcade one of these days?"

"w-what? That, really not necessary he's already said he's quite busy and-"

"I would love to."

"..Huh?!"

Makoto looked at Ren with eyes wide at his words and the blank expression he wore, simply raising an eyebrow at her and smirking over his coffee mug.

"I said I'd love to, going to the arcade with you sounds like fun. And I can find the time."

Makoto composed herself as she listened, smoothing out her skirt and taking a sip of her coffee before she responded.

"Well, as long as you aren't busy I suppose it would be fun."

A sudden chime from Ryuji's phone on the table drew their attention.

"Shit, hey Ren you think you could get that? It's prolly my Ma with something important."

Sure enough, when Ren opened the phone there was a message from his mother.

"You were right, she's asking you to pick up some groceries from the corner store."

There was duo of digital bloops from the screen as both Ann and Ryuji crashed their ships into the enemies.  
They both got up with a stretch and gave an apologetic look to the others.  
Ryuji in his rush even dropped his backpack and hastily gathered it up and haphazardly crammed all his books back in.

"Well damn guys, sorry to cut and run like this!."

"Same here, but I promised I'd help with dinner so I gotta head out with him."

Ann took a long sip of her mocha with joy on her face that quickly turned to sadness as she pulled the mug away.

"Ahh soo good! Sad to leave this behind though."

Ren got up from his seat with a laugh as he made his way to the stairs.

"We have to-go cups, I'll go grab you both some."

"Score! Totally didn't want to leave hot cocoa this good behind."

"Yesss, thanks Ren! You should expect me back here more often with coffee like this."

Ren lead them both downstairs to sort out their drinks leaving Makoto to sigh and grab her bag.  
While she was sad to see her friends leave early she understood the need to attend to family, and with what Ryuji told her of his mothers situation she understood it even more so.

As she grabbed her bag to follow suit Morgana woke up from his nap with a loud yawn.

"Ahhh, this bed is a strangely perfect place to nap. Hey are we heading home?"

"Yes, I'll grab a to-go cup for my drink and then head back, should study more once we get back."

"Ooorrr, you can go see that doctor Ren was talking about and get some medicine for us before we nab the treasure!"

The thought of it did intrigue her, but how she was going to convince this Dr.Takemi was another problem.

"It's an excellent suggestion, but how-"

"What's an excellent suggestion?"

She spun to see Ren looking at her curiously as he came up the stairs and she was reminded that casually talking to a cat in someone elses home was most likely strange.

"Oh! Sorry I was thinking out loud.  
I was thinking I should head home too, but that It might be a good idea to go see this doctor you spoke of before I leave."

Ren smiled as he went about grabbing his shoes and jacket.

"Good idea! I'll introduce you two so It's easier. Come on her clinics right up the street, just gotta make a special cup of coffee before we go."

The graffiti covered sign to the clinic did nothing to assuage her worries and it was clearly written on her face enough for Ren to speak up.

"I promise you she's a great doctor, the outside of her clinic could use some work but everything in there is fit and proper for a place of medicine." 

She nodded along slowly, taking sips of her coffee out of her to-go cup as they made their way inside. 

Makoto was unsurprised to see that the small waiting room had no patients to be seen, what did surprise her was the young punkish looking woman with deep blue hair in a doctors coat who sat behind the counter. 

The woman was currently busying herself with a crossword puzzle but sat up once she noticed them.  
Or rather, noticed the cup of coffee Ren slid past the divider.

"Afternoon Doctor"

Tae Takemi gave him a quick smirk as she pulled the mug into her hand, relishing the warmth and breathing in the rich aromas.

"Hmm, hello Courier."

Makoto gave Ren a curious look when she heard the nickname and he returned hers with a look of his own that simply said,  
"I'll explain later"

"Ooh you went with Hawaiian kona, your Boss know you're treating me today?"

"I just told him I was bringing a drink to a beautiful woman in need and he just gave me that knowing look of his and shook his head, you know the one."

"Ha! Don't I ever, can't keep a thing from Sakura-san. I go in for one cup and I end up having a full plate of curry and spilling all my little secrets."

Tae lifted the cup to her lips, a devilish smile playing across them as she eyed Ren with a sparkle in her eye that made Makoto question their relationship.

"Well, not all my secrets."

"Certainly not, can't be telling everything with just a cop of coffee and curry.  
Clealy you're worth far more than that."

"Hmm, and you know my worth well do you?"

Makoto briefly looked to Ren and saw him sheepishly rub the back of his head before straightening himself and her thoughts couldn't help but run amok.

'Is...is this what flirting is like or am I just completely lost?'

Surprising her again however was how quickly the doctors casualness shifted to professionalism as she put down the mug, a clinical look in her eye as she eyed Makoto over that firmly reminded her that she was in a clinic and in the presence of a medical professional.

"But I take it you didn't come here with someone else just to butter me up, friend of yours?"

"Got it in one! This is Makoto Niijima, I reccomended she come here as a patient."

Tae seemed mildly irritated by that if her creased brow was anything to go by, she leaned back in her chair and knit her fingers together with a sigh as she glared hard at Ren who kept that casual smile he always had.

"..You really shouldn't do that ya know? Well what has he told you Niijima-san?" 

"Well, that you're a fine doctor who has gotten a bad reputation much like him, and also like him It's unearned.  
He was very emphatic that you do a lot of good to help people."

She noticed that as she spoke Rens smile grew wider and the doctors unwavering glare never softened, but once she finished it faltered as she took a long sip of coffee and then gave Makoto a casual glance.

"Well head on through that door then, I'll be right with you." 

Ren gave her a double thumbs up as she made her way through the door and she couldn't help but snicker at how goofy he looked, but he was true to his word that she kept her clinic in neat and orderly condition as she sat on the medical bed and looked about the exam room

Tae got up from her seat, smoothing out her coat and taking another sip of coffee before giving Ren a lazy glance.

"Did you really reccomend she come here simply as a patient?"

"Of course I did, that's not all shes here for though."

Tae sighed and shook her head, gathering up her stethescope and looking for that pen that always seemed to be lost right when she needed it.

"I take it this is that favor you mentioned when we started our arrangement?"

"Yep! She's gonna ask for strong medication and will lie terribly as she does so, but trust me she's not asking for it for any nefarious purpose.  
She wants to help in some way or another, and I'm sure you could use a proper guinea pig instead of just testing the harsh stuff on me."

Tae narrowed her eyes at him but didn't stop the small smirk that formed as she took in his confidant words.

"Alright, I'll trust you on this and honor our arrangement.  
Now I'm well aware that you know this will be the only favor you get, so how are you so certain of all of this?"

"Just my natural intuition to look out for a friend Doctor. Nothing more."

Tae gave him a critical look once over as she grabbed her clipboard, giving him a skeptical hum and a tight lipped smiles as she made her way to the exam room.

"..don't think thats going to work Morgana we need..!"

Tae apparently interupted the young girl while she was in the midst of a conversation with what looked to be a sleep black furred cat in her bag that quickly ducked down once she entered the room.  
Certainly not the strangest thing she'd seen in this room but it was up there.

"..You've brought a cat into my clinic."

Her statement seemed to be punctuated with the click of her heels on the tile as she made her way to her seat.

"I, yes. My apologies he's simply, my emotional support animal and I promise he won't cause any trouble."

Tae leaned forward and tapped her lower lip with her pen, her legs crossed as she got comfortable and took in her words.

'She seems earnest enough, though tightly wound.'

"Well as long as he stays in the bag it won't be a problem, though I believe theres an idiom about that.  
Regardless, what brings you to my clinic today?"

The young Niijima looked even more tense before her, likely not having rehearsed her plan beforehand.

'Damn, he was right about her having a terrible poker face.'

Makoto brushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat, gathering her will to spin a lie.

"I'm an honor student at Shujin and, the stress of exams and being the student council president have made me lethargic. And um, I've been having terrible headaches!"

Tae nodded along as she doodled on her notepad, drawing an elaborate series of connecting swirls.

'Lets see how committed she is to this then'

"It sounds like the best thing for you would be to make some time to rest. All your duties are most likely puttig undue stress on your body and you need to recharge, so to speak."

"But I've been unable to sleep!"

When Tae raised her eyebrows at her from behind her clipboard Makoto visibly swallowed and nodded, continuing to spin her haphazard web, but she recalled her fathers lesson once again.

"I, was on board one of the train that derailed recently. It's why I have this support animal now but, when I close my eyes at night I still see all of the..all the people and.."

Tae's eyes went wide as she realized that this girl was telling the truth, by the sounds of it she needed a routine of therapy not medicine but she still would honor her deal with Ren.

"Hey, you don't have to explain anymore. I understand."

Makoto simply nodded, letting loose a shaky breath as she steadied herself and continued.

"If you have any strong medications, I'd be willing to pay and-"

She looked Tae in the eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty as she asked her next question.

"R-Amamiya-kun said that you help people here, in more ways than a doctor tyically does. Is that true?"

Tae sat back, putting the clipboard on the table as she nodded.

"..Yes. He wasn't being dishonest with that, I have something in mind that you could help me with in fact if you're willing to make a deal."

At the mention of a deal Makoto visibly perked up, leaning forward with a determined nod.

"I would be amenable to a deal yes. What do you have in mind?"

Tae opened her desk drawer and pulled out a white carboard box, as well she reached over and pulled a small plastic lidded bottle off the shelf and placed them beside eachother.  
Finally, she went to the back of the room and opened the cabinet, pulling out a small vial of purple fluid that made Makoto's thoughts begin to spin as she looked at it.

'Oh no, what have I gotten myself into.'

Tae picked up the box in her hands and opened the lid towards her, showing her the several sealed plastic squares within that each contained a small amount of off white powder.

"This is a medication of my own design, and will help with any lethergy you may be experiencing. Simply mix them with water and you're good to go"

She closed the box, placing them back on the table as she picked up the bottle.

"These are sleeping pills, also of my own design. Only take one of these before bed when you absolutely cannot sleep, and drink plenty of water as you do so or you'll end up drowsy the next morning."

She placed the bottle beside the box, then picked up the vial of purple fluid, unscrewed the cap, then held it out for Makoto to take.

"And this is our deal. I've been designing this medicine for some time and I need it to be perfect, you're a fit young woman so you make an ideal candidate to test it on and record you're reactions."

Makoto gulped as she shakily reached out and took the vial from the doctor, sharing a nervous glance with Morgana in her bag who onky gave the cat equivielent of a shrug.

"..Do we have a deal?"

Tae's words drew Makoto back to the situation, and she was suddenly reminded of how bold she always was in the metaverse and she couldn't help but wonder why it was escaping her here.

She looked down at the vial, tightened her resolve and slugged back the purple fluid in one go.  
She pulled the empty container back from her lips, meeting Tae's eyes with a hardened gaze.

"Deal"

For a moment the world began to still and turn to grey, and Makoto was briefly fearful that this was the medicines doing but then that voice, both familiar and not echoed in her mind.

I am thou... Thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a new vow...  
It shall become the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.  
With the birth of The Death Persona  
I have obtained the winds of  
blessing  
that shall lead to freedom and new power.

The worlds color returned once more, and she was content with her decision.  
That is until the room began to spin.

Thankfully, the dizzy spell had only lasted 10 minutes, something which was apparently good progress from the way Tae smiled as she made her notes on her reaction.

Ren had walked her to the train station, too tired to inquire about the strange nickname Tae had given him as all she wanted to do was head home and rest.

As he made his way up to his room after ensuring Makoto was safe to travel and had a lengthy discussion with Sojiro about curry, Ren went about tidying up the room and breaking down the table to be stored against the wall and prepare for his nightime visitor.

What he discovered under the table made his eyes go wide and shake his head with a soft smile.

"Oh Ryuji, why a pirates luck has never been with you I'll never know."

Sakamoto residence, evening.

Ryuji was well and truly fucked.  
He had dumped out his bag, opened all the pages of his books and still he couldn't find the baggie with the calling cards they made.

He was about ready to fess up to the group that he lost them and was loathed to do so with how much trust had been out into him, but he didn't have many other options.  
As he pulled up the group chat however, another message popped up that caught his eye and made his heart quicken as he read it.

Ren: You drop this?  
-picture attached

Ryuji's gut might as well have dropped into the first floor when he opened the message and saw a picture of the calling cards, still in the baggie, held in Ren's hand with a backround of his attic room floor.

'Well, I'm boned. That's that, nothing else to do now!…unless..'

Realizing just how badly he had fucked up, Ryuji bit the bullet and went for this hopeful thought mulling around in his head as texted back.

Ryuji: Um, yeah.

Ryujj: hey Ren? Any chance I could ask a favor of you and you don't ask me anything about it?

His thumb hovered over the message, but he dug deep for his resolve as he hit send and resigned himself to the imminent rejection.

He held the phone to his head, preparing for the agonizing long wait of-  
Ren's quick reply surprised him almost more than the reply itself. Almost.

Ren: Absolutely, what do you need?

The blond boy allowed himself a silent dance of victory in his room before he typed up a response.

Ryuji: Dude..I'm taking you out for Ramen sometime.  
Okay so we have this plan..

As the messages from his friend explaining his idea but none of the specifics rolled in, Ren couldn't help but smile at the situation.  
Try as he might, he would always be a part of the Phantom thieves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidants-  
> The Magician: Rank 1
> 
> The Fool: Rank 1
> 
> The Chariot: Rank 2
> 
> The lovers: Rank 1
> 
> The Moon: Rank 1
> 
> The Death: Rank 1
> 
> Takemi is and always shall be, a true bro.
> 
> I got too into writing the crew be friends and banter that i didn't get to sending the calling card or the big battle but that will be mext chapter.  
> Hope you all enjoyed this one :)


End file.
